Nutritional Status of Cambridge School-children

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Abstract
A survey of the nutritional status of about 1100 school children in 1942 showed that they compared favorably with other sections of the country. Children from the poorer area of the town were, on the avg., 0.8 in. shorter, 2.6 1b. lighter, had 2% less hemoglobin and a grip about 1.25 kg. weaker, and showed more changes in con-junctival epithelium. Re-examination a yr. later showed no essential change except a somewhat greater avg. height and wt. than for the same age group of the previous yr. During the yr., half of the children received vit. pellets containing half of the daily requirement, 5,000 I.U. of A, 1 mg. of B1; 25 mg. of C and 500 I.U. of D, while the other half received pellets containing no vits. There was no change in the yr. in height or weight gain, Hb, strength of grip, dark adaptation, resting pulse rate, vital capacity, breath holding time, or endurance measured by the R.A.F. mercury test; but there was an improvement in vit. C saturation, a decrease in the incidence and duration of colds, and an improvement in school behavior as assessed by the teachers.