The Washington times., 1913-11-14
PAUPER AND PRINCE
HAVE BEST BABIES
Specialist Says Children of
Middle Class Receive Least
Attention of All.
Continued from First Page

Continued from First Page
speciality entirely remote from baby
work, she is certain to be called upon
to care for babies or older children.
Training in baby care is usually
limited to the brief experience gained
during the required work in obstetrics"
Miss Etchberger concluded her ad-
dress with a plea for the adoption Of
the necessary training in connection
with the regular courses in the training
schools.
Standards for infant welfare were dis
discussed by Miss Zoe La Fargo, super
intendent of nurses, Babies Milk Asso-
citation, Detroit
This is an age of specialization.
she declared. There are nurses for
nearly every phase of public health
work. The business of the infant well
fare nurse is primarily the baby; to do
her work she is nurse in illness, she
is teacher, she is a nousekeeper, she
Is social helper, and at all times she
is a student. II is her privilege to
serve the community through the fam
lily life for the sake of the child
Miss La Fargo pointed out that the
section on nursing and social work or
the American Association for the study
and prevention of infant mortality pos
sesses a common aim with the national
organization Of public health nursing
They have a common interest, she
continued, in promoting higher stand
ards in training school, stronger facul-
ties and. better methods OF teaching.
Standards for infant welfare nurses
must be determined and enforced by a
representative nursing body.
Problem In Rural Districts.
Our three great nursing associations
are evidence OF the greater fiexibility
in organization which has become pos
sible through the growth OF communi-
cation: we are interested not only in
the other half but also in what we
may call the first half-self develop
ment" d .. 49,.
The problems of infant welfare nur-
sing in the rural districts were out
lined by Miss Fannie Nj. Clement, su-
perintendent of the Red Cross Rural
nurses
1T is among the scattered dwellers
and in the small rural settlements
where the visiting nurse finds. her most
difficult problems SAID Miss Clement.
She has not the immune rable sources
Of assistance at her command that the
infant welfare nurse in the city has.
When the rural nurse finds a sick
baby she does not have to go far to
find various causes sufficient to kill a
hundred babies.
Then, singlehanded, as a rule, she
starts her campaign She must first
help make the baby well before she can
convince the mother that there is no
need of her baby being sick, for not
until then is the mother ready TO listen
when the nurse tells of the Importance
Of clean and proper food and clothing
and the value and use of pure air,
water and sunshine.
Not until then does the mothers in
terest in germs awaken new subjects
for discussion around the kitchen stove.
Before the nurse has completed her
Ir1tN hx-f hx- oh hau fv,x-a @,2l
the pantry. the kitchen, the cellar, the
well. te pigpen an dthe barn. has talked
with the farmer about his cows and
has related the various features OF
farm life to the health OF his child.
The farm is te baby's world. and it is
the direct responsibility of the parents
TO see that proper health conditions ex-
The session was in charge of Miss
Harriet l.. Leet. of Cleveland. chair
man of the committee on nursing and
social work. and Miss Francina Freese
OF Hartsdale. N Y, secretary.
"Questionaires" Sent Out:
"Questionaires'' were also sent out by
the committee TO ascertain the extent
of the specialized training of nurses in
the care OF infants. and also to secure |
information in regard to their work and
10 get in touch with nurses who are en-
gagged in infant welfare work, whether
in dispensaries. milk stations. or in the
districts.
The session proper opened this morn
ing with a meeting of the executive
committee and also the directors, at
which the finances of the association
were discussed.
The afternoon session is devoted to
''pediatrics," the branch of medicine
which treats of the diseases of children !
and their treatment
The meeting is in charge of DR.. Henry !
!. Helmholta- of Chicago, with the fol- |
lowing addresses scheduled: The Use
and Abuse of Drugs in the Treatment |
Of Infants" DR.. John Howland, BaIti-
more: THE Teaching of the Hygiene of |
Infancy" DR.. /. A. Abt, of Chicago; |
simple Milk Dilution Feeding" DR.
Herman SChwarz. of New York; Heat |
and Infant Mortality" DR.. J. w. Scher- |
escheUsky, of Washington. |
Tonight the general session Will be |
held at the new National Museum. AM
address viii be given by DR.. L. Emmett |
Holt, of New York, president of the as
sociation.