Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-14
INFANTILE MORTALITY
DIR. WooDWARD's EXCEPTIONS TO
SENSATIONAL FEATURES.
Refers to Apparent Attempt to Array
Mothers Against the
Health Office.

In discussing TODAY the weekly statements
of the health department of the District on
the subject of infantile mortality and the
sensational manner in which these reports
have been treated in certain quarters. DR..
w. C. Woodward. the health officer. de-
clared today that the end sought to be &C
complished by the facts brought forth in
the bulletins could not be reached by the
apparent attempt to array the health de-
partment against the mothers and the
mothers against the department. He said:
THE health department has been inves-
tigating the relation between the diet OF in
fants and deaths from diarrhoeal diseases.
1t has been glad to have the results of such
Investigations given as wide publicity as
possible. SO that the citizens having knowl-
edge of the dangers incident to the use of
substitute foods might govern themselves
accordingly. The department has not I'M
dertaken, however. except in the most cas-
ual way. to indicate the prime cause of the
difficulty; that is to indicate the causes
which in the first instance lead to artifi
cial feeding. 1t has not undertaken to
blame mothers as a class for the use of
substitute foods. and certainly has not in
timated that the situation with respect to
such matters is worse in Washington than
elsewhere. Women would be in difficult
situation II they were on the one hand to
be blamed for being parties to race suicide.
and on the other subjected to censure If,
having offspring, they did not nurse it, al
though they might be unable to do so.
Artificial Feeding.
"Only the most superficial observer can
charge deaths from diarrhoeal diseases
primarily to artificial feeding. The use of
such foods is but step in the process,
and in order to discover a remedy 1t Is
nessary to seek further back and to learn
the causes which lead to the adoption of
such diet and to the errors with respect
to 1t after it has been adopted.
so far as relates to the adoption of sub
stitute feeding for infants, there is I'M
doubtedly certain number Of mothers who
although able to nurse their children, de-
cline to do so because of the demands of
society personal vanity. The investi-
cations of the health department show,
however, that these form but small part
of the total number. Other mothers find
artificial feeding necessary because they
are physically unable to supply natural
nourishment or because they find it nee
essary to leave their infants during a GER
tain part of each day in order to earn
livelihood. A few possibly, give artificial
nourishment too soon in an honest belief
that 1t is what the child requires. So far
as relates to errors in diet after an arti-
fetal diet has been established, the two
chief causes may be said to be ignorance
of what constitutes a proper diet for the
individual child under consideration and
inability to supply the necessary food be-
cause OF poverty. The latter condition Is,
of course, ordinarily associated with the
former. although the former may exist
alone. In connection with this matter of
errors of diet comes one of the most i'm
portant factors, and that Is defects in the
municipal milk supply.
Responsibility Of Mothers.
This analysis of the situation with ref
erence to deaths from infantile diarrhoeas
indicates, it would seem, fairly we'll that
but certain portion of the mothers of
the babies which die from such troubles
are personally to blame for such deaths.
With such cases probably little can be
done until fashion DEGREES otherwise or
until a greater sense of responsibility for
the welfare Of offspring reaches this class
in the community. The remedy, in the
other cases cannot be found by arraying
the health department against mothers or
mothers against the health department. 1t
will be found, If found at all, first in the
cooperation of all toward the diffusion of
knowledge throughout the entire commu-
nifty with reference to sanitary matters and
In this case particularly with reference to
infantile diet and disease; second, in the
establishment throughout the District of
suitable day nurseries. where mothers who
are compelled to earn their livelihood may
safely leave their children; and, third in
the continual improvement of the milk
supply, both as to its condition when it
reaches the retail purchaser and as to it's
condition when it is administered to the
individual infant