Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-16
CARE Of THE INFANTS
IN SUMMER MONTHS
ChiIdren's Bureau Plans to
Aid in Reducing the
Death Rate.


fects which have been obtained through
summer campaigns for babies lives. the
children's bureau plans to annually COM
pile the results of activities along this
line carried on in the many cities of the
United States. The first bulletin of this
kind will make it's appearance within a
very short time.
Babies die from diseases which are, to
large extent, preventable, according to
the bureau, and when welfare work Is
directed toward saving their lives the
response is immediate and decided.
After declaring lat this work is linn
tied only by the provided. a state
ment issued by tt hreau then outlines
features OF successful baby-saving
campaign.
Death Rate Decreased.
The efforts of city health officials have
resulted in the last ten years. it is
stated, in reducing the general death
rate in cities below that of the rural
districts and villages. This reduction in
the general death rate is an encourag-
ing indication of what is possible of ac-
complishment in efforts to reduce the In
FAINT death rate The Investigations of
the children's bureau indicate that the
principal impeachment to effective work
in the health departments of most cities
Is the lack of adequate funds for carry
ing on preventive measures intelligently,
and experience verifies the truth of the
motto of the New York health depart
ment Public health is purchasable;
within natural limitations a community
can determine it's own death rate
A clean milk supply is a fundamental
need. The ideal is: Nothing short of
clean milk for everybody. But the need
for the prompt remedy OF bad milk con-
ditons is more urgent in it's relation to
the welfare of babies than to that OF
adults, since dirty milk is largely re-
sponsible for the occurrence of diarrhoea
and enteritis. the most frequent causes
Of death among infants The remedy lies
of farms, the means of transportation,
and the shops were milk is sold, and in
ordinances governing the sale of dipped
or loose" milk.
Clinics and Milk Stations.
Baby clinics are an almost inevitable
outgrowth Of the milk stations. 1t be-
comes apparent at once that many moth
ers need advise as to the care of their
babies, especially those who are sick.
Sometimes the clinic is established by
the wholly volunteer services Of doctors,
who examine every baby presented at the
t.,
and tell the mother when to bring it
back.
1t is the opinion in some cities that
visiting nurses, sometimes called 'instruc-
tive visiting nurses should take prece-
dence over all other forms of welfare
work. The duties of such nurses consist
in following up the cases brought to the
clinics and in general welfare work in
connection with the babies in the con-
gested districts.
lifiaS met ha.;pp;,~ ~
awaken to the importance of this kind of
work and to understand that much of the
waste of infant life is due to causes that
were operative before the baby was born.
nurse who gives all her time to these
cases; other cities direct the general
nurses to take charge of them
Since it Is useless to send pure, clean
milk into dirty home to be handled by
an ignorant mother or older child, in
struction of the mother becomes a neces-
sary feature of the milk station or a part
of the duty of the visiting nurse. The
instruction is often supplemented by
public lectures
Value of Training.
The value of training schoolgirls who
are caretakers of little children in the
care of babies is regarded as of immense
Importance not only in the improved care
which is given to the babies in their
| charge. but in the influence which it
cannot fail to have in the prevention of
Infant mortality in this and the next
generations. and the organization of the
little mother leagues or little mother
classes forms an important part Of the
welfare work in most large cities
The house fly as a death distributor is
only recently receiving the attention it
deserves. Flies carry infection not only
to exposed milk, but directly to the
baby's mouth or to the nipple of it's bot
tie. Insistence upon screens for the
| babys rooms and for the baby's bed Is
a part of the campaign against infant
mortality, and the work should go even
| farther than this and should include
the destruction of flies by every known
| method and removal of the breeding
places.
Attention to housing conditions. to the
thorough watering of the streets and to
the question of fresh air and ventilation
| is urged, and the distribution of circu-
lars. pamphlets and other printed matter
containing advice concerning the care of
! the baby is considered helpful