The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-02-11
MANY INFANTS
Die OF NEGLECT
At Least 10000 That Die Year
Iy Could Be Saved

Washington, Feb. 1l.-.An appeal to
American mothers, to women's clubs
and To all who may he interested in
the nations social welfare for aid in
the movement tn safeguard the lives
| of babies, was made today by Miss
Julia {. Lathrop, chief of the Federal
| Chidrens Bureau i'm her first annual
report To Secretary Wilson, of the La
Dor Department
Infant mortality is IA subject now
challenging the attention of the whole
| civilized world" said Miss Lathrop. IL
| is impossible to state with accuracy the
infant death rate measures because the
United States differs from other civil
lied countries and provides no general
system of birth registration. Estimates
obtained by the government statistl-
clans. based upon Census reports. how
ever. show that last year the actual
4, loss was about 800, 600 babies under one
| year of age. OF these at least half
would now he living had we, as indi-
Viduals and communities, applied those
measures Of hygiene and sanitation
which are known and available. This
vast and unmeasured loss of infant life
is due solely to Individual and civic
neglect"
lnadequacy of funds and the limited
number of workers provided by the
statutes creating the Children's Bu-
reau the report said has greatly ham
percd the prosecution of the work.
1T is Obvious" the report contin-
ued, that even the most superficial
survey of the bureaus great field is i'm
possible with the present force, ANA
that in order To accomplish anything
at all it was necessary that the star
should he composed of specially quail
fled persons
Baby Saving Campaigns.
| Baby saving campaigns in numerous
cities and the efforts now being put
forth through them To prevent infant
mortality were highly commended by
Miss Lathrop The Bureau proposes to
cooperate wherever possible with such
movements.
\ series of pamphlets dealing with
the home care of young children, be-
ginning with one on parental care, are
now being distributed by the bureau.
In these it is shown that slightly
more than ~ per cent of the infants
dl ing under one year of age in the
registration area i'm 1871 did not live
TO complete the first month of life, and
that of this q per cent almost seven
tenths dies as result of parental con-
ditions or of injury or accident At
birth"
An investigation has been started 10y
! one of the bureaus field agents in an
effort to ascertain whether child-labo
laws are being properly enforced and
whether the states grant the ccrtih-
Gates with due reference To the chill
drens mental attainments and physical
development.
No Provision by States.
Through communications received 10y
the bureau. Miss Lathrop said she had
been informed that no state in Amer
lea is at the present time making AIDE
quate provision for exceptional and
needy children"
The bureau has discovered a popu-
lar conviction that ii is "A sound prin-
ciple that no child should be separated
from the care of "A good mother be-
cause of poverty alone. THE matter of
turning this popular conviction into q
useful public function" Miss Lathrop
SAYS. lis one demanding searching in
quiry."