A term evaluation report on local children's development during the 1990s, conducted by the city government, revealed that nearly one third of babies less than four months old are being deprived of mother's milk, while around 50 percent of local children suffer from dental woes and are short-sighted.

"To some extent, these three obstacles have hindered the development of local children," said Chen Jianjun, spokeswoman of the Shanghai Women's Federation.

The report said only 62.86 percent of babies less than four months old were breast-fed last year, down 3 percent from 1999.

The fast-changing social mores have led to a situation where young mothers, especially those working in foreign enterprises, think it best to give up breast-feeding in the fourth month to hold on to their jobs, she said.

"I went back to work just a month after my baby was born," said Li Qin, mother of a six-year-old, who works in a joint venture company. "Competition at work is so fierce nowadays that I have to rely on milk powder to feed my baby if I don't want to lose my job."

More than one-fourth of local pupils, 55 percent in junior school and 78 percent in high school, suffer from short-sightedness, the report claimed.

Most children tend to overuse their eyes and have not been told how to protect them, said Wang Yi, office director of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University.

In addition, the spread of televisions, computers and video games has also been detrimental, she added.

The report also said the proportion of children in kindergarten and primary school suffering from dental decay was 48.56 percent and 39.85 percent respectively, up 1 and 3 percent compared to 1999.

This can be attributed to neglect by both parents and children towards dental care.

Most children still don't know how to use a toothbrush correctly, Wang said.

(Eastday.com 06/14/2001)