X1000307-1948-49_Part02 — Page 1

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feared is that it may even produce a lax or enlarged scrotum which is considered injurious to the future health of the male. place like Hong Kong where tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases are so prevalent this excessive carrying of babies in the arus is very conducive to the spread of these diseases. (8) Notification of Infectious Diseases.

It must be pointed out that there are many Cages of bronchopneumonia following measles, and these usually are brought to 4 western trained doctor late in the course of the disease, because of the fear of the health measures that may follow the notification of the disense. The same applies to complications of other infections diseasca.

(9) Anaemia of Pregnant Mothers.

It is estimated that 20% of the ante-nutul cases at Taan Yuk Hospital have anaemia, This is due to the restriction of diet, especially during the last three months of pregnancy, and is caused by (a) ignorance, (6) custom, (c) poverty and (d) vomiting of The bad custom of completely eliminating regetables at this period, for fear of developing diarrhoea with consequent ouset of premature labour is most injurious,

pregoancy.

(10) Mutuutrition in infancy.

This is still considered by some to be common, but it is a general malnutrition rather than one connected with any particular vitamin.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

1. Propaganda and Education.

While improvements in housing, sanitation and the standard of living lake time, propaganda and education emphasising the following can be undertaken forthwith.

(1) The valua of fresh air and proper ventilation.

(2) Personal habits and hygiene.

(3) The importance of breast feeding.

(4) Proper methods of infant feeding.

(5) The erroneous belief in the efficacy of Chinese

medicine,

Tulike westeru medicine which has advanced by leaps and bounds during recent years, Chinese medicine, not only has made no progress but actually has retrogressed. Although it may not be advisable, at this juncture, to speak directly of the error of the belief in Chinese medicine and the dangers associated with herbalist practice, we could achieve our aim by making known to the Chinese public the recent advances of western medicine, em- phasizing the preventives and specific curatives which we

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now have, especially for discusea such as broncho- pneumonia, miliary tuberculosis, diphtheria and measles, Bronchopneumonia and miliary tuberculosis at present, cause about bulf the mortality in infancy. We should also emphasize the importance of bringing the baby early to the doctor in cases of illness. The Death certificates of 1947 show that only 24% had been seen by the doctor for more than one day prior to death.

(6) To implement No. (6) above, we advise, (2) the registration of herbalists, us has been done in China, (b) the control of their advertisements in the Chinese press.

II. Education and Propaganda through the following channels:

(1) Through boys and girls of school leaving classes; and in the case of girls, special attention to be paid to the art of mothercraft.

(2) Through regular home visits to the new-born by trained nurses or health officers for a certain period. (3) Through lectures and films on street corners. (4) Through ante-natal clinics, infant welfare centres, children's clinics, children's hospitals, and other sorial, charitable or educational institutions.

(5) Through midwives and private nurses.

III. To Provide Facilities for the care of babies through the

Establishment of

(1) Ante-natal clinics.

(2) Infant Welfare Centres.

(3) Creches.

(4) Children's Clinics. (5) Children's Hospitals.

The Committee feels that the number of children's beds available in the Colony is hopelessly inadequate, and that the building of a children's hospital should be given first priority-at least it should take precedence over the building of a mental hospital.

IV. Co-ordination of all aspects of child health work-educational, preventive and curative, and the Provision of facilities for the training of staft for this work.

V. Infections disenses and their notification.

Except for the more important infections diseases such as holera, smallpox and one or two others, the Committee felt that it was unwise to insist on the routine health measures normally enforced by the health authorities consequent on the notification of the disenses. These measures defeat their own purpose hy making the greal majority of Chinese refuse to go to a western trained doctor until it is too late for him to cure the disease,