View report page

84
One outstanding fact was that the diet of these children
consisted almost entirely of articles which required no cooking.
Where the mother is employed outside the home, the difficulty of
providing properly cooked meals can be appreciated, but in the
cases now under review no such excuse could be offered. The
cause was either ignorance or laziness.
4 of the children had tea and cake for breakfast and 2 were
frequently given cream cakes and custard pies at this meal. 2
others had bread and butter and fish paste habitually for breakfast.
Dinner in practically all the cases consisted of either bread and
butter alone, or in addition one of the following,—fish paste, tinned
salmon, german sausage, or corned beef. Several of the children
had bread and butter only for every meal, and this unbalanced
diet would be enough to cause malnutrition, but lack of nutriment
was enhanced by failure of appetite due to the monotonous dietary.
No attempt seems to have been made to vary the diet according
to the seasonal supply of a particular food. At the time of year
when this enquiry was begun, eggs cost less than Id. each locally,
yet in very few cases were they ever included in the diet.
Wholesome inexpensive articles of food, such as fresh
herrings, were seldom found in the diet, probably because of the
necessity of cooking. More than half of the undernourished
children had no milk in the diet except when it was taken in tea.
In every case, the state of affairs was explained to the parents,
and they were asked to co-operate with us in trying to improve the
condition of the child. Suggestions were made regarding more rest
for the child, the inclusion in the diet of foods of high food value
and the correction of faulty food habits, such as irregular meals
bolting of food, drinking with meals, etc., and they were urged tc
have physical defects, such as carious teeth, dealt with.
It was decided to provide morning milk and dinner at school
to certain necessitous children, while other malnourished childrern
were also provided with milk at school at the expense of their
parents.
In no case has a child received free milk or meals without
the parents being interviewed, and a thorough physical examination
being carried out, and physical defects remedied. Carious teeth
have been dealt with, mouth-breathers investigated and suitable
treatment suggested, in fact what began as an investigation into
nutrition has now grown into a nutrition Clinic in the broad sense.