Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-05-08
Saving BABIES
BY mrs. ROVE
Massachusetts Woman Delivers a
Strong Address at State
Conference.

Saving the Babies" was the sub
ject Of very interesting address de.
livered Thursday at the state confer.
ence on child welfare work by Mrs.
w. E. Rowe of Wallaston, Mass. Mrs.
Rowe's address follows in full:
THE congress has made a study Of
the causes of infant mortality and
the remedy for all these things lies
in the proper care Of our babies. It.
is In the province Of parents to be
the largest factor in creating better
opportunities for the coming genera.
tons. Child nurture is a science, and
the greatest Of all sciences, because
it deals with the browning work Of
Goldman. To fathers and mothers,
He gave the bearing, rearing and nur-
turing Of the little ones, who from
generation to generation, must do the
worlds work, and carry forward the
work of Gods kingdom on earth. The
establishment of a child hygiene do.
partment in every board Of health
should be promoted by all who would
reduce infant mortality.
The experiment In saving babies
lives BY giving mothers instruction in
their care and feeding, which was car
ried on in Philadelphia, under the d.
rection Of the president of the Nation
al Congress OF Mothers, proved 50 sat
isfactory that it may serve as a model
for congress workers in other states.
Mrs. Schotr, in cooperation with mem
bers of the Pennsylvania Congress Of
Mothers and with the city board Of
health, engaged from Bellevue hos
pital, a graduate nurse, who had had
wide experience in the sort Of work
to be done, and whose sympathy and
knowledge made 1t possible for her
to gain the confidence of the moth.
ers. The purpose of the movmeent
was to win the mothers eve before
the baby came; to help them to be
mothers OF the right sort and give
the little ones a fair chance; and to
inspire them to form groups to con-
tinue the study of their children's wei
fare and thus prevent infant mortal
ity.
"A central point for the weekly in
spection and Weighing Of babies was
secured, and the mothers of 554 in.
fants under 1 year of age were visited
and instructed as to food, ventilation.
sleep and general care. A visiting
nurse of this sort is very valuable III
a community. Many people suppose
that baby saving work is necessary
only in cities, but there is plenty OF
scope for it even in rural cOmmunl.
ties, where fresh air and pure milk
would seem possible for every child.
"Holyokc, Massachusetts, Is a small
city, but the need for a b~aby-saving
campaign was apparent and there was
organized an Infant Hygiene associa.
ton and established a municipal milk
station. And today the city of Hol-
yoke in its yearly budget apprOpriates
money for the carrying on Of the milk
stations all the year. This is the onl?
city in Massachusetts which does this.
lone OF the greatest assets in the
city Of Worcester, Mass, was its nea-'
ly 5000 new babies in 1914. OF those
we lost about 10 per cent before they
we're l year old, and half of these
deaths might have been prevented II
the mothers had known how to feed,
battle and take care o fthe babies.
The child hygiene chairman Of the
Congress OF Mothers of Massachusetts
has sent to each association in the
tate a quetionaire for the purpose Of
ascertaining the conditions Of the va.
rious sections Of the state and which
localities are in greatest need of help
in the conservation of the lives Of
infants and young children.
Last year in u country over 300.
900 babies died under the age Of
year and It was stated on reliable ALL
thority that 70 per cent of those
deaths might have been prevented il
the mothers had been taught how to
care for their children. The National
Congress Of Mothers aims to say the
lives Of 100, 900 babies this year. The
keynote OF modern medical and phil
anthropic effort is prevention.
"You study scientific farming to
raise bigger and better crops, why not
study better babies hygiene to make