El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-19
'LittleMOthers' Save Babies
instruction Given Older Girls in
Iurger Cities Reduce Infant.
Mortality Greatly.

ASHLNGTON. D. c, Nov. 10


of Infant Mortality has just concluded
its fourth annual meeting in Wash
ington. The association was formed
in November, 1910, at the close of the
| first conference on infant mortality
ever held in the United States. It
owes its existence primarily to the
American Academy OF Medicine,
! which called the first conference held
at Yale university. Since then 1t has
grown rapidly in numbers and in
| fluence. 1t has headquarters at 1911
Cathedral street, Baltimore, under the
direction of Miss Gertrude knipp,
executive secretary
The objects of the association are
to study the causes of infant mortal
Z ity and awaken a national interest in
reducing it 1t furnishes active plans
for preventive work which may be
put into effect uniformly throughout
the country. 1t acts as a central clear
ing house for the collection and dis
sc minatiOn of information regarding
/ infant mortality, and the work being
done to check it 1t carries on gen
eraI propaganda through its head
quarters in Baltimore and IS reSpOn-
slble for special studies and investi-
| cations presented by its standing COM
mtttees. It provides travelling eX-
h!bit upon infant mortality and con-
ditiOns affecting it, which can be sent
from one city to another upon re-
local committee. 1t holds an annual
meeting where the newest ideas in in
FAINT mortality preventive work are
introduced. and the discussions pub
{ lished for distribution among those in
! terested.
Has Wide Membership.
The membership consists Of organ
izatiOns and individuals Much of the
! strength of the association is due to
the number of affiliated organizations
cooperating with it. These include
departments OF health in many cities
medical organizations, women clubs,
nurses organizations. infant welfare
societies. home economic organizations
and many others that are interested in
some form Of baby saving activity.
; Through these affiliations the aSso-
citation has been in touch with the or
ganized baby saving campaigns which
have been held during the year in -
large cities in % different states L
is expected that this number will be
doubled in the coming year.
The subjects most closely related to
infant mortality and its prevention
discussed at the recent meeting, in
clude birth registration eugenics. the
prenatural care and instruction of eX-
pectant mothers. standards of train
ing for infant welfare nurses, public
school education for prevention Of in
FAINT. mortality. and the relation of the
plans for infant conservation to the
ideals of general conservation
The primal factor in the develop
meut of mortality preventive work is
securing reliable vital statistics Birth
registration is the basis of determin-
ing the infant mortality rate which in
dicates the number of babies in each
thousand who die in their first year
OF life Lewis Merriam the assistant
chief OF the federal children's bureau.
designates the infant mortality rates
as the clinical thermometer of the
modern health officer and sanitarian-
Where adequate birth and death reg
istratiOn exists the public health Of
infant
chart as the weather man watches the
thermometer. He can pick out the
areas Of social storm or stress Just as
! the weather man picks out the loca-
ton of atmospheric storms.
The great English statistiCian. sir
Arthur NewshClme, claims that the in
FAINT mortality rate is the best index
os social conditions. All lives are af-
fected by bad social conditions so that
increased social pressure means an in
creased death rate The babies suffer
first because they arc the mercury in
the national health thermometer. Their
lives are so delicate that the slightest
increase in pressure is reflected i'm
mediately by a sharp increase in their
death rate
chart Is Great AID.
Where vital records arc kept. the Of
ficer by Slancing at the chart can tell
where the need of preventive work is
greatest. Knowing the number OF in
fants born in an area enables him TO
decide when a death indicates a need
of preventive m easure to check the
force OF an epidemic. # 4 child -
horn in adverse circumstances. imme
date birth registration makes IL DOS
Sible to impart promptly to the fam
ily of that child a knowledge of ny
Giene and sanitation which will pro-
feet its health The sooner society
knows Of the arrival OF a new member
the sooner il can guard that baby
against infantile blindness and the
numerous diseases which carry off so
many babies in their first year. or
leave them MANNED or deformed so
that they are unfit to become eff
cient social units in after life. Eng
land has an immediate birth nOtifi-
cation law which requires the regis.
tration of birth within Sc hours OF
its occurrence. NewshOlme claims
this fact has been an important factor
If producing the great reduction in
infant mortality achieved in that
country within the past 10 years.
Birth registration will also protect
the future of the child. It enables the
state to enforce the compulsory edu-
cation laws, thus providing him with
an education. and to enforce the child
Ia Dor laws thus guaranteeing that this
education shall not be sacrificed by
the greed or necessity of parents or
employers. The legislatures OF all the
states excepting Georgia and South
Carolina, have adopted laws calculated
to secure birth registration and the
adequate enforcement of these laws is
one Of the measures to he advocated
in preventing infant mortality
Plans Cooperative Campaign.
The federal children's bureau. under
the direction of Miss Julia Lathrop. is
preparing to enter into a cooperative
movement with the women's Organi-
70 lions of the country in which COM
mittees of women will get the names
of 10 or more babies in selected towns
and districts and go to the registra-
ton office to see If their births are
recorded. The result will be reported
TO the bureau This will put the bureau
in possession of valuable data and en-
able the organized women of the cOun-
try to know whether or not their birth
Re gistratiOn laws are being complied
with.
The reason the law IS not better en-
forced in some states is that it is de-
fective- A model law to remedy these
defects has been prepared and copies
OF it will be supplied to any one in
terested. Its preparation has the CO.
ODeratiOn of the American Bar asso-
citation. the American Public Health
association. the commissioners upon
uniform state laws. the bureau Of the
census, and the children's bureau. This
model law creates the office OF state
registrar of vital statistics under the
state board OF health. Upon this Of
ficer should rest the responsibility OF
oil The