The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-01-09
GOVERNMENT NOW
TO RESCUE BABIES
ChiIdren'S Bureau Active on
Big Task,
TO FIND MORTALITY CAUSES

From Care of Cattle and Hogs Fed
eraI Machinery Has Turned to Con-
servaton of Children - House to
House Canvasses to Be Made-Sabres
In Poor Localities Die Fast.
The federal government. which has
been for years providing for the well
fare Of cattle, hogs, potato plants and
sugar beetS. is ut last actually coming
to the rescue of the babies.
Beginning Immediately after Christ
mas the newly created children's bu-
reau of the department Of commerce
and labor, of which Miss Julia La
thrOp Of Chicago is the chief. began
campaign to save the lives Of babies
under one year of age.
This is the first inquiry undertaken
by the bureau. Investigators will 20
into typical communities in every sec
ton Of the country and make house
to house canvass.
THE purpose of the inquiry Is TO
find out why the babies live and why
"Of the 100000 babies under one
year of age dying yearly in the United
States. at least 10000 could be saved
by the application OF methods with
which We are already as a people we'll
acquainted.
Death Rate Of Babies.
THE death rate for the total popula-
ton is slowly but surely declining;
adults are living on the average longer
lives, but the death rate Tor babies less
than one year old is not declining. The
estimate of DR.. Cressy l. Wilbur. chief
statisticlan, that at least 100000 babies
die annually In the United States means
that one baby out of every eight dies
before it is year old.
'In certain unfavOrabe localities this
rate is much greater. Babies In poor
neighborhOOds in an American city, for
which figures are available. die at the
rate of 3I3 per 1000 babies under one
year Of age, while the corresponding
rate for babies In the good residence
quarters Of the same city Is 1856. The
New Zealand death rate for babies Is
but siXty-eight per 1000 births. The
great point about this inquiry is that it
begins with the birth record or the
child and follows it through It's first
year, instead of taking the mortality
record and working backward. Its
method will be to secure list of all the
children born within a given year IN
the communities under consideration.
THE schedule has been carefully pre-
pared to cover the question OF housing,
feeding and care of the child. the milk
supply, industrial and economic condi.
ton of the parents and sanitary condi.
lions of the neighborhoOd-in fact, the
hygienic surroundings of the child.
Parents to Be Visited.
"The method of this inquiry will nee.
essarily be that of visits to parents by
the women experts of the bureau Ii
will be seen that this is an absolutely
democratic inquiry, involving. as II
does, visits to every mother OF a baby
born within a given period of time. II
seeks to discover the favorable condi
tons concerning children who survive
and it is believed that its whole pur-
pose is such as to enlist the good will
Of the mothers Of the country.
"All the cities In which this inquiry
will be carried on have not yet been Sc
lected. 1t is certain, however. that at
present cities can only be studied
which are in that portion of the coun.
try designated as the birth registration
area'-that is. the New England States
PENNSYLVANIA and Michipann