The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-08-19
Dr.. Martha Bledsoe, in Charge,
Says there may be Twice as
Many; Includes all from
6 months to 3 years
FAR FROM MERE
"BEAUTY" CONTEST
Event Part Of Campaign for More
Healthy Children; Score Card
is Given to Mother Free
Of Charge

A baby is a child not younger than
six months old, but which has not yet
reached its fourth birthday That is
the ruling OF the Better Babies" con-
test committee. and that is the rule by
which they viii go in admitting the
three hundred or so of babies to the
place where each will be given a CON-
plete physical examination as well as
medical one, ard be measured, and
half dozen other things besides.
DR.. Martha Bledsoe is in complete
charge OF the contest, She has al
ready selected local doctors to aid her
in caring for the biggest exhibition of
the entire free fair and exposition, and
she is now notifying physicians from
outside the city that their services will
be needed for the judging of the
Youngsters.
The physician in charge is confident
there will be at least three hundred
infants in the contest, which is really
not much Of contest, but rather a
campaign for better developed and
more healthy children. Least of all is
IL beauty show. A mere man who
has been aiding In the preliminary
plans expressed it with the words: "a
Kid might be as ugly as Nike. but IL
he was just long enough to be as big
around as he was, just smart enough
to be as old as he was and was perfect
ly healthy and BAD no abnormalities,
he could get first prize over houseful
of blue eyes golden curls and lace
dresses"
The biggest thing in the baby show
viii be the scoring of each infant The
mother win be given the score card
which will tell her Just where her
child needs medical attention or dc.
velopment The first test is mental |
development" Experiment has shownj
that a child of six months should be |
able to balance its head.its eyes should |
follow bright objects, etc. There are
similar tests for the child of twelve
months, eighteen months. two years.
two and half years and three
Then a child so tall should have =
girth so large, 1t should be SO tall. i'll
should have so large chest. etc. All
these measurements are takf down on
the score card and given to the mother
together with the standard ones. Or
course many of the defects of this
kind cannot be corrected by the mother. |
Some OF the other ones. if there be
any. can.
Each child will be scored with As
much care as il it we're a colt one |
of them expresses it. The inspection !!
will include. among other things. the |
teeth, skin. muscles. nerves, the eyes,
ears, nose and throat An this will
be done, of course, without expense TO
the parent. 1t is merely part of the
campaign for more healthful babies,
and afterward more healthful men
and women
Entries for the contest must bel
made to DR.. Bledsoe at least by Sep
tember 10. The show will last two
days. Sept 20 and 21, only in the
mornings. The entry card must con-
tain the name and age of the child |
and the names and ages of the par
ents. This information may be sent
to the committee either by letter or
by telephone, but DIR. Bledsoe is es-
pecially anxious that all entries be |
made just as soon as possible
Local doctors win aid in caring for
the babies during the contest but only |
out-of-towE physicians will be used as
judges. rne following have consented
to give part OF their time during the |
two mornings to attending to the |
needs of contestants: w. c. Cook, II.
c. Antle, w. Penquite, G. H. ThraiI-
kill. w. Il. Bowman. A. L. Dawson, X
]. Baze. D. S. Downey, S. o. Mars. =.
C. Booue. J. e. Stinson. L. e. Emau-
uel and A 3 Leeds.
Grady county doctors from outside !
Chickasha who will act as judges while |
filling out the score cards are: W. r