The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-05
BABY WEEK
lContinued from Page One. !


Children up to the age of four years
were eXa mined.
Addresses on the proper care of
children are on the program of the
demonstration, which will continue
through October s.
Among the speakers scheduled are
Arthur Nevin, Harold +. Butler and
Raymond F. Swegle of the University
of Kansas; w. D. Ross, state superin-
tendent of public instruction; DR.. s.
j. Crumbine, secretary of the state
board of health; DR.. Lydia Allen De
Vilbiss, head of the state division of
child hygiene; DR.. Harold B. Wood.
Topeka city physician; Cora C. Lewis,
member of the state board of admin
istration, and Miss Lima Bresette. sec
rotary of the state welfare commits
sion.
Scoring Began Early.
Scoring of the babies began at 10
o'clock this morning, with the audi
forum walls echofng and re-echoing
with cries and sq0eals of infants
the doctors examination and watched
anxiously while mental tests were be-
ing made.
Following an organ recital at 2
in the program, DR.. Lydia De Vilbiss
head of the child hygiene bureau of
the board of health, spoke on why
Baby Week. Credit for the Kansas
DR.. Harold Wood, city health officer
officials of the show and city, de-
clare. This is the first time we have
had anyone who knows anything
sioner w. L. Porter when Dr.
Wood came to this city told him we
were going to have baby show. That
was all that was necessary"
Mortality Problem Here.
In her address this Afternoon DR.. De
Vilbiss said:
"In common with the rest of the
United States, Kansas has an infant
mortality problem. This problem
avries from a death rate of one child
in every five under two years dying
each year in some localities to one
child in fifteen in others. Taking the
state as whole, it averages about one
in nine-not so high as some other
states but still entirely too high.
eff every child were born right and
cared for properly, there would be no
infant mortality problem in Kansas or
anywhere else.
''When you realize that more than
half the infant deaths are because the
babies properly, you will understand
why the doctors are laying so much
stress on the correct feeding of babies
and children.
feeding troubles, many deaths might
have been prevented. For example,
10000 each year die in the United
States from whooping cough alone.
And yet when the sanitary officers
want to quarantine whooping cough
and other infectious and conta giouS
disease, people think they are being
sadly abused.
Shouldn't Be Born.
Then apart from these causes
there is a still smaller number who
ought net 20 have been born. Some
day an enlightened ana awakened
public conscience will deem it crimi-
nal as it surely Is, for those who are
feeble minded. epileptic, insane, alco-
nclic or those afflicted with other SER
ious Unbeatable diseases to bring into
the world helpless <nnocents only TO
sicken, to suffer and to die.
Thus in order TIC lower this infant
mortality rate or better still to do
away with the problem of infant NOR
tality altogether, we must needs pro-
coed along two lines: 1lrst, take tne
best possible care of the babies that
are born; second, look forward TO bet
ter babies being born. These are the
purposes of Baby Week.
Baby's Teeth.
.sOraI hygiene for the infant should
start at birth and should be main
tanned by a trained nurse until the
child is turned over to the regular
nurse and mother. who in turn should
be taught to carry out INSTRUCTIONS
for keeping the mouth IN cleanly
condition" said Dr. F. A. Rooster of
Topeka, dentist. who followed Dr. De
Vilbiss on the program.
Milk whether from the mother s
breast or the COW, readily ferments
in an exposed place, such as the
child's mouth.
THE health and comfort of the
child depends upon the temporary
teeth, for their purpose is to serve un-
til permanent teeth take their place.
Undoubtedly one of the most seri-
Gus calamities which can occur to
child Is the pushing out OF the front
portion of the jaws. Ihls IS o1ten