New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-16
Bottle Feeding Risky.

Bottle Feeding Risky.
\ baby nursed by its mother, the chill
drens bureau declares. has approximately
ten times the chances TO live that a bot
tle-fed baby has Child welfare workers
are urged by the bureau to encourage
women TO make every effort 10 carry out
this maternal duty.
Among other things, the circular 20 be
sent out by the children's bureau says:
The efforts Of city health officials have
resulted in the last ten years 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
encouraging indication Of what is posi-
bic of accomplishment in efforts TO reduce
the infant death rate. Babies die Of dis
eases which to a large extent are prevent
able. and thus when welfare work is d.
rected toward saving their lives the re-
Spouse is immediate and decided.
THE Investigations OF the childrens
bureau indicate that the principal i'm
pediment to effective work in the Health
Departments Of most cities is the lack OF
adequate funds for carrying on preventive
measures intelligently. and experience
verifes the truth OF the motto OF the
New Yor6 Health Department, Public
Health Is Purchasable. Within Natural
Limitations a Community Can Determine
Its own Death Rate.
Clean Milk Basic Need.
"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 condi-
lions is more urgent In It's relations 20
the welfare OF babies than 20 that OF
adults. The remedy lies IN the intelligent
and effective inspection OF farms, the
means Of transportation and the shops
where milk is sold and in ordinances gov
erning the sale OF dipped or loose milk
cities Of all sizes In constantly In
creasing number are establishing stations
and dispensing milk. whether pure whole
milk, certified, modified, pasteurized or
sterilized milk 10 mothers OF babies that
must be bottle fed. Some Of the cities In
which such Institutions are maintained
are Albany. Baltimore Boston, Buffalo.
Chicago Dayton. Detroit. Hartford, Homo
lulu. indianapolis. Kansas city, Mo; Law
renee. Mass. Louisville. Lowell. Milwau-
kee. Newark. New Bedford, New Haven.
New York, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Providence.
Rochester. -. Louis. Springfield. ohio
Waterbury. Conn. Wilkes Barre. Penn.
Worcester. Yonkers and Utica.
Baby clinics are an almost inevitable
outgrowth Of the milk stations II be
comes apparent at once that many moth
ers need advice as 70 the care OF theiT
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 milk
station, weigh II. prescribe It's diet and tel
the mother when TO bring IT back.
1T is the opinion In some cities that
visiting nurses. sometimes called In
structive Visiting Nurses should take
precedence over all other forms or welfare
work. The duties Of such nurses consists
I'm following up the cases brought 10 the
clinics and in general welfare work rel
alive TO the babies in the congested dis
trlcts.
Fly a Deadly Enemy.
"Tbe house fly as a death distributor is
only recently receiving the attention IL de-
serves. Flies carry infection not only 70
exposed milk, but directly TO the baby
mouth or 10 the nipple OF It's bottle. In
s,stence upon screens for the baby's room
and for the babys bed is a part OF the
campaign against infant mortality, ana
the work should 20 even further than this
and should include the destruction OF files
bv every known method and removal OF
the breeding places.
whether or not the stable fly is the
only carrier OF the germ OF INFANT pa
talysis. IL is certainly one, probably the
nrincIpal carrier Upon the opening OF
summer a thorough listing Of all horse
stables and livery barns. whether public
ar prlvate. Is made by such cities as
Seattle and indianapolis. and complete
measures for the control Of the fly breed
irx places are instituted
Although there have been only thirty
four fewer infant deaths from all causes
in New York City this year, compared
with the same length of time in 1912, child
welfare workers do not feel surprised that
after the phenomenal reduction IN the
last two years there shouIu ne idIilhs
off this year.
the Rabies Welfare Association points
ont I'm a statement issued yesterday that
With the steady increase In the number
- births on which the death rate Is reck-
oned oven a slight decrease In the actual
.,,,,nber OF deaths will mean n still fur
,b.r and more decided reduction in the
dsa,h rate The total number OF infant
deaths last week was ZS5 SIX more IMAM
I'm the corresponding week IN lslZ'