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110
At the 82nd week of pregnancy most of the foetal parts
are developed or laid down—it is then too late to give
them a good start by the provision of milk.
Many expectant mothers are undernourished, and no
provision is made for the supply of milk during the first
six months of pregnancy.
The early period of pregnancy is equally as important
if not more so than the later.
It is then that the feetus commences to lay down bone
deposits and the formation of muscles and teeth, and it
is during this stage that the mother should have sufficient
nourishment.
It should therefore be possible for the Maternity and
Child Welfare authorities to supply milk or dinners to
expectant mothers in the early stages of pregnancy.
Nutrition of Children.—In last year's report I referred
to the evidence of malnutrition in children, which was
attributed by the parents to the small amount of money
left for food for the family after paying the present-day
rents.
An inspection of school children belonging to '21
families of the unemployed was carried out by Mr. Somerville
Hastings, F.R.C.S., L.C.C., and results published
in the Lancet dated 25th March, 1933.
"Evidence of malnutrition was found in 28 per cent.,
whilst 76 per cent. were below the average weight of
children of the same age in the elementary schools"
Those selected for investigation were the elder children
of the same families whose pre-school members were
referred to as suffering from malnutrition in my annual
report.
An anomalous position has now arisen! We find that
children living in the slums have better health than the
children living under better housing conditions existing
on the municipal estates.