HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2202, 13 November 1920, Page 4

HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

(Published under authority oL‘ the

Education Depart incut.)

It is commonly assumed that, fruit, is an unnecessary adjunct to the diet. On the contrary it is an important food, and it may be generally said that a child whose daily diet does not include a certain amount of fruit is not being adequately fed. The value .of acid fruir in cleansing' the teeth after meals and counteracting decay alone would give fruit an important place in our list of foods. But there are other ways in which fruit contributes to health..

, Fruit is rich in certain vitamines, or vital elements of nutrition, which are essential to health and bodily growth. Insufficiency of certain vita mines is frequently a serious fault in the diet of children, consisting as il often does almost winds lv of artificially refined foods. The fresh juice of oranges and lemons has saved ha It aliens of troops from contracting that dread disease, scurvy. Frail lias a stimulating —one might almost say a disinfeeting power upon the digestive tract. It helps to prevent stagnation, to promote normal activity of the digestive organs, and to maintain the lining membrane in a healthy condition. It is becoming increasingly recognised in the treatment of certain diseases ot children that to ic>|ore (lie digestive lining of the stomach and bowels to a healthy state it is essential to include in the diet a good proportion of food requiring vigorous mastication and .a certain amount of fresh raw food such a> fruit..

In all cases of artificially fed infants it is important to give a little orange or apple juice daily, commencing with about 10 drops any time after the lirsl month, and increasing very- gradually. At this age it should he given in the interval between meals. Alter a year old, a little baked apple may be given at the end of a meal, and at 18 months the average child should gradually learn to nibble a little raw apple. Unless there is some reason to the contrary, a small piece of raw apple or orange should be given at the end of each meal, aud'lliis should he a general rule from two years upwards, in the case of oranges, the juice only should be taken.

The reason why stone Iruits such as plums sometimes cause digestive trouble is that they are often eaten with their skins unwashed. As such fruit offers a great attraction to Hies, it is frequently in a very unclean condition. It should invariably be washed, and for young children the skin should he peeled oh. The most generally m-etul fruit is the apple. A greater deintind would result in cheaper apples, and judiciously used they would effect an enormous reduction in dental disease and an incalculable increase in health. There are scientific grounds for the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away."