The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-11-12
BABIES DYING
THROUGH NEGLECT

WASHINGTON, November 2.--Amer.
lean race waste-more serious than
race suicides pointed out in Census
Mortality Bulletin No. 1O4, in which
it is estimated that annually in the
United States from 100000 to 100000
babies under five years of age die from
preventable causes. This great loss of
| life among the little ones at the period
when they are most loving and most
lovable could be prevented, is the opin-
ion of DIR. Greasy L. Wilbur, chief
statistician Tor vital statistics of the
| census bureau, who prepared the bull
letin, on the basis of presentday
knowledge of sanitary measures. FUI
the accomplishment of effective pre-.
ventive work in this direction. Doc.
tor Wilbur holds that the prompt reg.
istration of all births and the more
| careful and precise statement of causes
of death by physicians are essential.
In analysing and comparing the to.
tails obtained in the compilation of
transcripts of death returns received
| for the year 1908 by the census bu-
| reau from the entire death.registration
| area of the United States, as set forth
| in the bulletin, those for age periods
show a somewhat increased per cent.
| of deaths of infants under one year
| for 1908, although the ratios for each
| of the individual years from one to
four are identical fd. 1907 and 1908.
| Of the total number of deaths, 691 ,574
returned for 1908 from the entire reg.
istration area, it is stated in the bull
letin that nearly one-ffth were of in
fants under one year of age and over
one-fourth Of children less than FIVE
years of age. 1t is declared that the
brute force of the figures representing
the actual deaths is more impressive,
however, than any ratios or than the
rates of infant mortality, even if the
latter could be computed in the alb
sence Of proper registration of births.
| Here are the figures:
More than one-eighth of a million
babies under one year of age and fully
| 100000 children under five years of
| age died among about one-half of the
| total population of the United States
in the year mentioned. 1t is consid-
cred probable that fully 100000 more
died in those cities and States not in
Guided in the census bureau death.reg-
| istration area. In this connection,
Doctor Wilbur quotes Prof. Irving
| Fishers conclusion that of all the dis.
| eases of infancy, having the median
| age one year, AZ per cent. may be pre-
vented; and that of the diseases of
childhood, having median age two to
eight years, 81 per cent. may be pre-
vented.
cit does not seem unreasonable, -
Doctor Wilbur states, "when we con-
slider the fact that there is apparently
no reason why infants, if properly
born, and this means simply the pre-
vention of antenatal disease and the
| Improvement of the health and condi-
tons of life of their parents, should
die at all in early infancy or child
hood, except from the comparatively
small proportion of accidents that are
strictly unavoidable.
The bulletin continues with a state
ment that the general deathrate of a
country is largely dependent upon its
infant mortality, because the death
rates of infants and young children
are high and they affect a relatively
numerous element of the population.
Exact study of the incidence of dis
eases upon infancy and childhood is
most important, and it is imperatively
necessary that there should be more
effective registration of births through.
out the United States for this purpose.
The extremely important rate known
as "infant mortality" is the ratio of
deaths of infants under one year of
age, not to population, but to the num-
Der of children born alive during the
year. This most important ratio
should be readily available for the
comparative study of deaths of infants
in all of our States and cities, but,
the bulletin states, in the great ma
iority of them, unfortunately the reg
istration of births is worthless, and
ratios calculated upon the returns
would be deceptive and unreliable.
"The possibility of great saving of
human life during infancy and early
childhood is emphasized by the esti-
mates made by Prof Irving Fisher,
on the basis of independent medical
opinions, for his report on national
vitality to the national conservation
compassion, as to the ratio of pre-
Variability (postponability),' that is,
ratio of 'preventable deaths from
cause named to all deaths from cause
named for certain diseases of early life.
"Out of every 100 deaths that occur
from each disease in which the median
| age at death is under FIVE years, there
could be prevented the following num-
bers: Premature birth, 40; congenital
debility, 40; venereal diseases, 20; diar-
rhea and enteritis, the most important
cause of infant mortality, 80; measles,
40; acute bronchitis, 80; bronehopneu-
monia, so; whooping cough, 40; Group
(Which means diphtheria), rs; meningi-
tbs, 20; diseases of larynx other than
laryngitis, 40; laryngitis, 40; diphtheria
tunder it's proper appellation), 20; scar
let fever, 80.
"Other diseases especially fatal to
infants and children would perhaps
show equally great ratios of preventa'
bility; they do not appear in the above
lie. Ia.n,,sa tbas, on1ian ouau ra ahnun