Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1995

sponsor bums research and related educational pursuits. On the same note, the Department of Surgery announced the pioneering use ofthe surgical ultrasonic aspirator for the cleansing and debridement of a bum wound with minimal blood loss and maximum preservation of normal healthy skin. Growth Standards for Hong Kong Children A territory wide growth survey, covering 25,000 Chinese children form birth to 18 years, reveals that children of today are heavier, taller, fatter, have larger heads, and attain puberty earlier. The Faculty ofMedicine, in collaboration with the Health Department and the Hospital Authority, carried out the survey in 1993. Subjects included pupils studying in 49 schools and infants attending eight maternal and child health clinics, all randomly chosen to represent a cross-section of Hong Kong. Some of the important findings are: (1) Compared with figures obtained 30 years ago, mean weight at 18 years has increased 16 per cent in boys and 11 per cent in girls, whereas mean height has increased two per cent in boys and one per cent in girls. (2) Compared with their parents at the same age, children appear much taller. In boys of 12 years of age, the average height difference is 10 cm and in girls of 10, 7 cm. However, by 18 years, the difference drops to 4 cm in boys and 2 cm in girls. This is a result of earlier maturation of the present generation. (3) Ten per cent of girls show the first sign ofpuberty, viz. breast development, at seven. (4) Half of the girls at 12.5 years have experienced their first menstruation. Mean age ofmenarche has fallen by half a year. (5) Childhood obesity is prevalent mainly after five years of age. The highest prevalence in boys is 21 per cent at age 11, and in girls 12 per cent at age 10. Such prevalence has never been a feature in the Chinese population and is approaching that of the West. These findings will have a vital bearing on the planning ofeducation, health care, and medical services for children in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's First Combined Children Spina Bifida Clinic Spina bifida is a common congenital anomaly characterized by defective closure of the bony encasement of the spinal cord, through which the cord and meninges may protrude. Children suffering from spina bifida often have multiple problems including neurological deficit of the lower limbs, and loss of urinary and faecal control. Optimal care for these children necessitates a multidisciplinary approach by various medical specialists. Hong Kong's first combined Children Spina Bifida Clinic was set up by the University's Faculty of Medicine at the Prince of Wales Hospital in early March. It is manned by specialists from relevant divisions in the Department of Surgery and the Department ofOrthopaedics and Traumatology, as well as from the physiotherapy unit, the occupational therapy unit and the prosthetic and orthotic units. The establishment of the clinic will greatly enhance the coordination ofmedical care and treatment, and provide greater convenience to juvenile patients and their parents, who otherwise have to visit the hospital much more frequently to attend separate clinics. At present, an estimated 300 children in Hong Kong are suffering from spina bifida, with about 20 bom annually with the defect. Music Department Receives Valuable Items Donations of rare personal collections were recently made to the Chinese Music Archive by friends and alumni of the University. Such donations feature over 500 old 78 r.p.m. records of Cantonese opera and instrumental music, including 100 items by pre-World War II Cantonese artists and over 20 items by the male 'hua-dans' 一 male operatic artists who play female roles. There are also some 200 Chinese music books, scores and periodicals including the now rare Chinese revolutionary songbooks and full scores of modern Chinese folk orchestral music, and some 20 musical News in Brief 42