Norwich bulletin., 1922-10-13
NUTRITIoNAL INSTITUTE ON
 THE PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN

NUTRITI0NAL INSTITUTE ON
 THE PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN
 The institute on the nutritional prob le4ns of children which was held in Hart ford from Sept. 25 to Oct under the auspices of the Hartford Tuberculosis society, was conducted by1Dr. William R. P. Emerson of Boston. who was assisted by his co-worker, Miss Mabel Skilton.
 The lectures were given at Center church house and demonstrations were held in various schools, public and paro- chial The course was open to doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers and dietf- tians and 62 people availed themselves of the opportunity. The plan was to start branch of the work in Hartford, as New Haven already has three workers.
 The purpose of the clinic was so help others do the work and to train helpers to carry on the work. it being entirely ed- ueational and not Glief work, and neces- sitating the services of a physician. pr. Emerson gave the following pri- mary causes of mal-nutrition: 1, physi- cal defects -pharyngeal obstruc tions). 2, lack of home control. B. over fatigue, 1. insufficient good and faulty food habits, 5. faulty health habits, and secondary causes: l. hereditary, per cent, 2. poverty. 3 per cent; 3. tubercu-, losis, 3 per cent, 4, congenital spyhilas, 2 per cent.
 one-third of the children were found underweight for their height and more ma1-nutrition was found among the rich than among the poor. and more. in the country than the city.
 The causes pr. Emerson listed of un- derweight were:
 l cannot stand coffee, and there are from fn If in oh o11n | of coffee.
 2. Candy. Takes away appetite and should be eaten just after meal, but 1 none between meals,
 3. Insufficient sleep. Children in the growing years should retire at S.30 D. m 1. Faulty diet. A nutritive nurse will endeayor to have child Fdrink at least one pint of milk a day, eat some cereal, bread and butter some vegetable and some fruit, and children are asked to keep a diet list of everything eaten for two | days each week at breakfast, mid-morn- 1 ing lunch. noon meal. mid-afternoon | lunch and supper-a rest period is given daily and it will take a child from F to 1 15 weeks to reach normal weight but once normal weight is reached a child : will retail it.
 5 Children should have supervised
 reading one book a week is enough.
 s. Underweights should have no mu-
 sic or dancing lessons.
 1 '. (a) The. physician should examine 1 stool for worms, (bl urine foE possible kidney disturbances. (c) and tonsils for disease, as one-third of the underweights were found to have diseased tonsils, A rest period twice daily is an absolute necessity for conserving energy. Chil-
 dren are considered underweight when { per cent. below normal and overweight
 when 20 per cent. above normal-usuallJ due to overeating.,
 l Dr. Emerson's purpose is to have chil
 dren who are underweight according tt isize. not age. join these nutrition classes
 which meet once a week, exercises taking
 one hour. Half of the time is taken LII
 by the physician and when a chilc reaches normal weight he is called l:
 graduate and is given a framed diploma
 The cooperation of the parents is neces
 sary and parents are expected to come t.
 the classes.
 i Nutrition is food assimilation. Chil dren eat for growth and development
 adults eat for energy and repair. Prope
 food is necessary for both. The signs o
 mal-nutrition are poor color, lines unde
 the eyes, fabby muscles, fiat chests, roun'
 shoulders, protruding abdomen, naso pharyngeal obstruction and parted lips, al 1 NSS(N+ health methods.
 Those interested should be the parents the children themselves, the schools, a medical agents, all child helping organ
 nations, the associate charities, the juve nile court. the city and the state. The saving in the cost of Cepeaters i } the grades at school would pay the cos l of nutrition classes. and as co-operatio l means making oneself fit to work witt
 this cooperation makes the children f l for manhood or womanhood, and Dr. En 7 erson says a tonic is unnecessary r childhood, claiming it is an excuse fc f ignorance. and that those who handl D them for children are pill peddlers. Il l also claims that spoiled children are
 menace to a community. Control in foo6
 and habits are necessary to correct u , defects.
 ! There were three students from Mol -. treal, Canada, among. the 62 student - Miss J. M. Pendleton of West Main stre 7 2 was the only local nurse. to take u
 course and receive diploma. 2
 Rest periods were instituted by Sup l. E. J. Graham in the public schools hes Il last year and were-found profitable ar .: nutrition classes would prove just { 'l profitable, it is claimed.