The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-01-21
Public Health. Nurse Notes.
CHILD MISUNDERSTANDING POINT

What are some of the problems
confronting Us in the great South 2
Looking over the field from which
our tomorrow" is to come, we see
thin, pale children, with very little
ambition. except. as they say. to
have good time and be popular. !"
In order for them to be popular.
they must do" aociety.
Follow me for just a brief time
and you will look YOUR own child
in the face. The first problem we
will mention is one very few people
think is important. The greater
part of this wonderful Southland of
ours il not even in the birth regis
tration area. The child is left to
fight for his nationality and numer-
Gus other things. Why is that inn
portant OF the various answers
let Us use only one. Today our
land is OVERLOOKING with people
from all over the world In the
near future you can hardly tell an
American from a foreigner, only by
his birth. How can you tell by his
birth if it is not recorded? When
| entered the army l had never
dreamed of a birth certificate. They
even wrote me, saying: How do
we know you are an American? "
Then and there l first realized the
embarrassment my parents had
placed me in.
Then, what is our second great
problem? In common with other
parts of our country, the matter of
nutrition for the children of the
south is of grave concern. From 10
to % per cent of the children of the
United States suffer from
some form of malnutrition. The
statistics from New York City are
perhaps the most trustworthy. I'm
der date of October Is, 1920, DR..
Josephine Baker, chief of the bureau
of child hygiene. of that city. writes:
Very careful and detailed studies
have been made in New York City
to determine the amount of under
nourishment among children
of school age five to Is
years. We found that in 1914 the
percentage was 5; in 1915 6; in
1916. IL; in 1917. 10; in 1918. 81;
in 1919. 10. Such a situation is
extremely critical. Undernourish-
ment during the growing period is,
in my opinion. a condition which
is more seriously detrimental to
the child's welfare than any other. |
| am of the opinion that the effects
of undernourishment of children are
never fully recovered from in later
life; that such children are always |
less resistant to dieease and suffer
a serious handicap physically"
Why are our children undernour-
ished? Surely not because we fail
to provide for them. No. that is
not it. 80 per cent of the school
children are not nourished properly.
They get up too late in the morn
ing to decently eat a good break
fast and get to school in time. At
noon they want to play, so they do
not go home for lunch. or if they do
they eat as hurriedly as possible
and get back to school to play.
This is a serious handicap to diges-
ton. After school they are nearly
starved, so they hurry to the drug
store and there eat to their hearts
content. At dinner that night they
can't eat. No wonder After an
dinner they study their
school books for "a while in order
to rival their classmates, and then
either go to the movie. a dance or
Just anything to keep them out late.
Poor children ! l often wonder
now they ever survive.
Why are the streets to be desired
more than the fireside at home?
Doesn't it seem that the trouble is
n the home? Can't we make home
/ place where our children want to
Ipend more Of their growing time?
We used to think that mother
Jared if swe did wrong; now she
must prove it to u.s. It's not that
he children are trying to govern
heir parents. but that they should
vorry-mother does it too
Let's put our shoulders to the
Wheel and give the children a
nance. Let's adopt the watch