The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-12-31
THE AMERICAN BABY;
NEGLECTED AND ABUSED
lBy Oklahoma state Board of
Health)

CBy Oklahoma State Board of
Health
The American baby is to be lifted
during the year 1916 to such promi-
nence that the people no longer VIII
be able to forget or ignore the fact
/ that the American baby is worth more
than all the horses and cattle and
pigs and sheep in the land. The
/ first week of March will be baby
week throughout the United States.
The United States department of
/ labor, through its children's bureau,
in Washington, d. c., has thrown or
its coat and rolled up its sleeves to
| fight the battle Of the American baby
the neglected, abused American
baby. Infant mortality in the United
| States or in any other country is due
| largely to ignorance of how to safe
/ guard the health of babies. There
is scarcely mother in the land who
doubts that she knows how to care
for her baby. Unhappiy, affection is
too often permitted to take the place
of intelligence in matters Of hygiene.
Perhaps the most remarkable trib-
ute to the huskiness and natural
strength of the American baby is his
survival of the dangers with which
| indulgent parents surround him. 1t
is mistake to think that only those
! babies that live in surroundings of
poverty are the ones that die.
The federal children's bureau has
prepared a special bulletin of prac-
teal suggestions for baby week cam
paigns, adapted to the varying needs
of communities of different types
Copies of this bulletin will be sent
free to any person upon their writing
to the federal children's bureau
Washington, d. c. This booklet
should prove valuable in every
household, and serve as an excellent
guide to mothers in the care of their
children.
The federal bureau believes that
baby week will give more parents a
chance to learn the accepted princi-
pies of infant care, and will awaken
every American to his responsibility
for the deaths of three hundred thou
sand babies who die every year in the
United States before they are three
months old
The baby week idea was first sug
gested in Chicago about two years
ago Then New York, Pittsburg and
other cities took up the cause The
results have been productive of such
widespread good that the general fed
GRAFTON of women's clubs has under
taken to promote this nationwide o1-
: soryancc of baby week next March.
State health officials and national or
ganizations interested in public
| health and child welfare are freely
lending their assistance. The extern
sion divisions of state universities
will give special assistance in rural
communities.
More than 400 communities, en-
bracing every state in the union, are
| planning for the observance of baby
week, in order that during those
seven days the needs of the babies
may he so presented that all the
parents in those communities will
learn a little better how to care for
their babies. 1t is confidently believed
by those who are interested in this
nationwide baby week that the re-
mainder of the year will be marked
by strengthening of all community
activities for saving babies lives and
giving them a better chance to grow
to a healthy maturity.
The Oklahoma state board of health
feels deeply the need of such work
in this state. \ whole year devoted
to the welfare of Oklahoma babies is
something that should appeal to the
heart of every parent. Little can be
done, however, merely by thinking.
This work requires that people should
assemble and discuss the many ques-
tions involved. Are the babies Of
Oklahoma worth this effort? From
the babies of Oklahoma will be as