Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-09
CHALLENGES
STATEMENT Us.
MOTHERS DUMB
New York Child Hygiene
Bureau Head Takes Issue
With Austrian.
TALK OF MALNUTRITION

NEW YORK, March 9.-American
mothers like to sleep and hate to cook
They don't know what is good for their
children to eat And they are too lazy
to tear themselves from their mornings
of a morning in order to learn what
child thinks about when breakfast
time comes.
The malnutritiOn which exists among
our children today is directly traceable
to the mothers who are deaf to alarm
clocks and who send Off children to
school without a single mouthfuI, ac-
cording tc DR.. Clemens Pirquet, noted
Austrian pediatrist, who spoke before
the Aca deny Of Medicine here.
COMPARE CONDITIONS
IN AUSTRIA AND Z. s.
DR.. Pirquet was in charge Of the Amor
lean Relief Administrations feeding sta
lions in Austria during the war. He dis
cussed his idea on malnutrition, com
pairing conditions In Austria to those
in the United States
Here in America" he said, 81 find
many mothers who are bad cooks. They
do not know what is good for their
| children, and if they are met with re-
sistance or Indifference on the part Of
| the children they give them nothing to
eat.
Many women are Of the opinion that
they should not force their children to
rat. They have been told that if a child
is forced it will not digest It's food
/ That, Of course. Is untrue. Geese that
are not at all hungry are fattened in
/ spite Of their lack Of appetite.
Some children are not punctual at
their meals. and that is a cause Of NAL
nutrition.
but one OF the chief reasons for NAL
nutrition is that mothers viii lie in bed
and permit their children to 90 to school
with only a mouthful or nothing at all"
CAN RELY ON
AMERICAN MOTHER.
DR.. S. Josephine Baker, head of the
Bureau Of Child Hygiene of New York
city, does not believe that women place
the luxury Of an hours extra sleep in
the morning above q chud's welfare In
discussing Dr.. PirQuet's statements, she
said recently.
The American mother is sound. Per
sonally I feel that we can rely on her
good Judgment.
There is, however, just n scintilla Of
truth in some Of these criticisms. The
trouble is often that she doesn't recog-
causes Of 1t. When she does she will
do as we'll by her older children as she
has done by her babies
"Dlalnutrition in America is due not
so much 10 laziness or to lack Of food
as it IS to ignorance Of how to feed chill
dren.
I'VE have gone from the simplicity Of
the dairy to the delicateSsen, with its
rich prepared foods, spiced meats, over
seasoned salads and sweets. We need
more green, lcafy vegetables such as
spinach. lettuce, beet tops and chard.
"Curiosly enough, the same reaction
takes place among the children Of the
rich as among the poor. The well-tO-dO
family may have a child who is 'fnicky'
4 about what he eats. He won't have the
sturdy appetite Of the little one who is
caught, dirty and happy, playing about
even In dangerous city streets. 1t IS be-
cause he is too well protected and be-
cause his exercise too often consists Of
a walk through the park dressed. in his
best.
WHEN CHILD
DOES NOT EAT.
ANY hungry child will eat, unless
something IS the matter. That thing
may be adenoids, diseased tonsils, bad
teeth, or eye-strain-eye trouble often
interferes with appetite.
Never force a child to eat IL he IS
free from defects. If he doesn't eat don't
make remarks about it.
"Pay no attention to such refusal
Above all. don't argue.
IF child won't eat a regulation
breakfast Of cereal, eggs, cocoa or milk
and bread and butter, say nothing, but
be sure he gets nothing mOre-until
lunch is served.
"If 1e won't eat lunch don't give him
an opportunity to get any food until
dinner is ready.
"a child can go from twenty-four TO
forty eight hours without food ugs
harmed Then he viii eat normally 81
not fed between meals.
Now, this may seem strangS but IL
a child takes his meals regularly then It
is all right to give him extra things, such
as fruit. bread and butter or cookies, be-
tween meals. That doesn't interior as
It would If he didn't eat his meals. That's
the way it works, odd as it may SEEM"
AMERICAN WOMEN
GOOD COOKS.
DR.. Baker was asked what she thought
of American women as cooks. She de-
tends the culinary art as practiced in
This country.
Not good cooks? ?" she said in surprise.
That's not true, New York is quite
foreign city. but the foreign women are
excellent cooks although they have many
traditions about cooking. And the ma
tive-born American woman has always
had a fine reputation as chef.
"Our children really suffer more from
ignorance than they do from neglect.
er-excitement Is a great cause OF
undernourishment today. 1t brings
about over stimulation. Bad air In
theaters. lack Of proper rest, III venti-
lated sleeping apartments and lack of
harmony in homes all react upon chill
dren.
Poor children sometimes have no
place to play. Rich ones often simply
don't play. If the rich child won't eat
what he has and the poor one hasn't
anything to eat the net result is the
same.
BABY DEATH
RATE LOWER"
"Our baby death rate is seventy-ons
per thousand now. lower than ever be-
fore. Eleven years ago 1t was IA out
of 1000.
"These mothers don't always recOg-
nlze an evil, but when they do they are
vigilant in combating it. One reason
hat children are ill-fed is that during
the war we had to change types Of food
through necessity And people who have
become prosperous eat too much ready
prepared food.