The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-07-27
SAVING THE BABIES.


Academy of Medicine, a conference on
Prevention of Infant Mortality" is to
be held in New Haven, Conn, next
November. In connection with the
campaign inaugurated by the academy
In behalf OF the babies rights to
health and to proper care, 1t is inter
esting to note that nearly all of the
humanitarian undertakings that have
had the prevention of infant mortal
ity as their chief aim, have sprung up
in this last quarter of century. 1t
has been only since people have wax
ed up to the possibilities OF preventive
medicine that the laity as we'll as
physicians have realized that the soy
ereign remedies of fresh air, sun
shine and pure food are the most eff
fective weapons that could be dsired
in fight against the appalling waste
of life among little children.
Just as the excessive mortality due
to tuberculosis was formerly looked
upon as a visitation Of Providence, so
the terrible mortality among the
babies was regarded as due to divine
intervention, to be acce.- led with SUI
pine resignation. But the work Of the
visiting nurses, of the day nurseries,
| the floating hospitals, the fresh air
homes, the establishment of milk
depots, the inspection of the sources
of the milk supply by enlightened
boards of health, the sanitary inspec-
ton of tenements, all have shown,
that given fair chance, the baby can
be depended upon to do his share to-
ward making good physically.
Proof Of this is shown in statistics
collected by DR.. l.. Emmett Holt OF
New York. His table ds for New York
City and covers the period from 1891
4 to 1900, During 1891, when the popu-
llation under five years amounted to
/ 18S,703, the mortality of children un-
der five was 1922. This meant that
4 the number of deaths for every 1000
children under five years of age was
niuety-six. In 1895 the number of
deaths had come down to eighty-five
per 1000; and in 1900 it has been re-
duced to sixty-seven. total decline
of nearly thirty per 1000 in ten years.
Though the population under five
years had increased $4,000, the actual
decrease in deaths of children under
five years was 1900. This decrease is
attributed to the wider diffusion OF
knowledge of infant feeding and
hygiene; to the more enlightened care
given to the babies during the sum
mer; to the lettering Of the milk sup
ply, and to the many agencies that
are at work to secure more favorable
conditions for the babies in the over
crowded sections OF the city.
Nearly every civilized country has
been alarmed at the appalling mortal
ity among the babies, and in many
places special efforts have been made
to lower the death rate In many
parts of Germany, while the bah,
show does not figure conspicuously or
the program, the plan is In force Of
instructing the mothers through reg
ularly appointed board Of visitors. In
some of the German cities, among
them Cologne, If the circumstances Of
the family are such that the mother
j is compelled to be one of the bread
winners, arrangements are made fol-
her support for the first month of the
baby's life, so that tie baby can be
sure Of having the mothers care dur
! ing the first few critical weeks of Its
life. In our own country the educa.
ton of the mothers Is one Of the most
| important features Of the work Of the
visiting nurses. In some communities
! the way is prepared for the more in
telIigent care Of the BABIES by the
distribution of educational leaflets by
the local boards of health on t.le
birth of the baby. The carelessness
with which vital statistics are usually
kept, and the delay on the part of
physicians in recording births, makes
this method less effective than It
could otherwise be.
The conference to be held at New