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50
So far I have attempted only to review the progress of
children who were admitted to a nursery before they reached
the age of two years. I have done so because there is most
controversy over the wisdom of admitting children as young
as this to a nursery. They are not then old enough to benefit
from association with other children, and there are certain
obvious risks, namely, fretting because of separation from the
mother, and infections.
In spite of the extra rations and supplementary medicaments
available, I have never been satisfied with the progress
of these young children. From the point of view of the welfare
of the child I should therefore only be prepared to recommend
the admission of a child under two years if there was very
definite evidence of neglect or mismanagement of the child in
the home. I have a record of one child, who was suffering
from chronic malnutrition and neglect, and has done very well
in the nursery.
To take the average gain conceals the progress of individual
children; but of those admitted between 12-18 months, three
lost weight in the first three months, nine gained 0-8 oz., and
an additional nine gained less than 1 lb. This was out of a
total of 58 children. Thus, over one-third made unsatisfactory
progress in the first three months. In the second three months
two children lost weight, five gained 0-8 oz., and four gained
less than 1 lb. The total number of children here was 44, so
one-quarter made unsatisfactory progress in the second three
months.
Of 42 children admitted between 18 months and 2 years,
seven lost weight, three gained 0-8 oz., and five gained less
than 1 lb. in their first three months in the nursery—again
one-third whose gain was unsatisfactory. In the second three
months two children lost weight, six gained 0-8 oz., and three
gained less than 1 lb., out of 30 children.
As children in nurseries are in a very favoured position
as regards rations compared with children whose mothers are
looking after them at home, I can only regard the progress
of these groups of children admitted under two years as disappointing.
It is reasonable to suppose that illnesses accounted
for the poor gains to some extent, but this cannot be the
complete explanation, as some children had as many as four
infections, and did satisfactorily; whereas others had no illness
and yet did badly.