New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1925-09-22
Your Health
How to Keep It
Causes of illness
BY DIR. HUGH 5. CUMMING
Surgeon General, United States
Public Health Service

Malnutrition is an important COM
dition very often neglected, and
when neglected may lead to serious
consequences.
Malnutrition may lay the founda.A
ton Tor poor physical Development
or poor health in later lie or may
lead TO some serious disease like tu-}
berculosis.
You should know how to recug-
nize malnutrition in children. If you
find that "a child is not only much
below normal weight or height but
that he gains much more slowly
than he should you should at once
suspect malnutrition.
At the ages from TO 10, when Al
healthy child gains four or liNq
pounds a year, children SUFFERING
from malnutrition may gain only
one or two pounds. Some do not
gain at all. From u to 16 years.h
when healthy children should gaini
from six to ten pounds per year,
, children suffering from malnutritioDi
may gain only two or three pounds.
|
ton, however. do not all behave in
the same way.
Some are pale, dull and restless,
with dark rings under their eyes.
They tire easily and have no ambi.
, ton for work or play. !
Their work in school is often so
poor that they must frequently re-
peat their classes.
Other children suffering from NAL
nutrition are nervous, fretful, hard
to please, and hard to manage.
They eat and sleep badly. Still 9TH.
ers are ORGANIZATIONS, constantly
active and restless. They find con-
, yersation difficult. To grow In
, height and gain regularly in weight
Is just as much a sign OF health in
il. a boy or girl of or 10 as it Is in
a baby.
Mothers have learned to weigh
their babies.
IF your boys and girls were weigh.
ed regularly every month this con.
dition of malnutrition would be dis.
covered early and would not be al
lowed to go on to serious Conse.
! quences,
=. Causes Of Mainutrition
Causes of malnutrition are not
difficult to find. Most important
causes are:
This child does not get the right
kind of food. He spells his appetite
for simple foods needed for growtr
: by excessive indulgence in car,
sweets, pastries and indiges'
foods.
He eats irregularly.
He never takes time enough
meals TO chew his food properly.
He does not get enough sleep.
He suffers from habitual cons,
patton. =.
He gets too many motion pictures
and other evening entertainments.
: He plays too hard for too many
n hours.
r He is overworked in school or
\ out.
- Malnutriton may also be caused
n and aggravated by decayed teeth
r enlarged or diseased tonsils and
q adenods.
In places where malaria or hook
I worm are present malnutrition il
K often the result of these infections
: Unless malnutrition Is recognized
), early and measures are taken to cor
n rect it the effects of this condition
in childhood may last to adult life.
|. investigations show that 20 per cent
r of the children In many OF our
o schools are at present suffering from
malnutrition.
= In order to prevent malnutrition
It or at least to recognize it before
= serious consequences have followed.
d it Is most important that you watch
a the chid's weight A child much
below normal weight or one who Ia
= steadily losing weight or one who In
y not making normal gain should
S at once be taken to physician.
The whole family life OF the chila
V should be carefully Investigated 10
l.: determine which Of the rules Of
IS health he Is violating and whether
n this pertains to his food, his habits
r Of eating, his hours of play, Of
school work or Of sleep.
= Suggestions For Diet Of Children
4 During infancy mothers should
t nurse their babies until advised
d otherwise by competent physician.
e At six months the baby is able to
e digest starchy foods, therefore at
n this time small amounts Of barley
e or oatmeal water may be given with
the milk. A teaspoonful of orange
'. juice twice day is also beneficial.
|, When the teeth begin to appear a
e piece of cracker or zwieback may be
r allowed. In addition a little cereal
n Jelly without sugar may be given
" once a day, preferably in the morn
q ing.
v At about the 18th or 18th, month
a small amounts of baked potato, ap-
pie sauce, and the pulp of thorough
4" ly cooked prunes may be added to
n the baby's diet.
Al When the child is two and halt
or three years of age you may begin
X to give him one or two teaspoonfulH
D. Of scraped meat or an egg.
4 AS the child grows older you
: should take care to see that the diet
lis mixed and varied that It supplies
" all the elements necessary to insure
i, growth. Milk should be given al
each meal.
=, Children should not he allowed to
=, drink either tea or coffee.
~ They are worth trying" said Mr.
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