Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-09-24
MISS LATHRoP REPORTS 2,5oo.ooo
DIED WITHIN LAST TEN
YEARS.
MANY MIGHT HAVE SEEN
SAVED ~ KNOWLEDGE.
Many Deaths Prsvsntab's it chi'drs"
Are We'll Born and We'll Cared For
Birth R.a;stratiSH ons ~ Methods
suggested For Dissemination Of In
formation.

washington, Sept. 24.-Fhe estimate
of Miss Julia c. Lathrop, head OF INT
chi,dren's bureau, that in the ten year.
from 1900 to 1910 more than 2,ooo.ooo o.
the babies born in this country d1ee
before 1 year old, many OF the deaths
he;np neyentable, caused sensation
among officials.
Miss Lathrop has only begun her
work OF gathering vital statistics con-
corning children, with view to the
reduction Of infant mortality. DETER
education and adjustment OF child Ia
Dor. Announcing that her first report
is incomplete in that some of her hg-
ures are estimates based on imperfect
birth registration, she presents facts
that are alarming.
Emphasizing the magnitude OF IN
FAINT mortality in the decade from
which she draws her figures. she shows
that 1t means the humiliation each ten
wears of a population as large as that
of the state of New Jersey, greater
than that of such states as Alabama
California, Iowa, Kentucky. Minnesota
or Wisconsin. and equaling the COM
bined population of Montana, Idaho,
wyoming. Colorado. New Mexico, Arr
IONA, Utah and Nevada.
How to Prevent Deaths.
1--WE are assured by the highest au-
tfiuIitties.'' says The report thar me
number of deaths can be greatly re-
duced If we apply the best methods OF
the growing science OF sanitation IN
deed, one great authority says that II
children were well born and Well cared
for the infant mortality rate would be
negligible"
Miss Lathrop insists that birth reg
istration can aid in preventing infant
mortality by giving notice 10 the health
officer and the visiting nurse The
community Is thus enabled to send to
the family In adverse circumstances
knowledge OF hygiene and sanitation
which may save the life Of the child.
blindness in the newborn is easily
preventable. Some cities are furnish
ing remedies for certain eilments free
of charge. Prompt registration will ia
cilitate this humanitarian plan.
when we have adequate birth and
death registration all over the coun-
try" the report says, "the public health
authorities can watch the infant NOR
tality rate as the weather man watches
his barometer, and they can pick out
areas of social storm tuse as the
weather man traces areas 81 ordinary
storm, but with this one great differ
ence: With our present knowledge the
weather man can not change the
weather. but the public health Off
ciai can change the infant mortality
rate. for. as the expert medical men
tell us, half of the present infant NOR
,ality could be prevented II the meth
DDS already known to medical and
sanitary science could be given gen.
eral application"
Illinois Laws Lacking.
The report declares hat thirty
states have good birth registration laws,
but new laws or important amend
ments are needed in the other states.
Among the latter are Illinois. Indiana
and Iowa South Carolina has no
birth registration law at all
enforcement of child labor laws and
compulsory education laws should
dove-tail, and both must rest on
basis of birth registration" says Miss
Iathrop Our legislatures enact laws
prescribing ages within which children
shall attend school and below which
they shall be protected from employ
ment. but the state can not enforce
those laws justly IL 1t possesses no
public record Of the age Of the chill
dren.
Education for children can not be
made entirely effective without birth
registration. If a community is going