The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-02-18
BABY WEEK TO
Be OBSERVED BY
WHOLE COUNTRY
More Than Four Hundred Com
munities in United States
Preparing for 1t.
W0MEN's CLUBS TAKE HOLD
seeeraI Department Of Labor Pointing
Way for Effective Work-State
Health Officers Of Various
States Are Giving Ae~
tive Cooperation.

Washington. The facts about
American babies and Americas re
sponsibiIity to her babies will this
year be known as never before. be-
cause the first week in March will be
Baby week throughout the country"
said Miss Julia Lathrop. chief of the
chiIdren's bureau of the department
Of Labor
Four hundred communities. repre-
senting every state in the Union. are
planning for Baby week, 30 that for
seven days the needs OF the babies
may be presented that all parents
in these communities may learn lit
tie better how to care for their babies
and all the citizens may realize that
they have a special obligation to safe
guard the conditions surrounding
babies.
The Baby week idea, according to
the children's bureau, originated in
Chicago about two years ago. Then
New York, had Q Baby week. and
also Pittsburgh and other cities.
Such practical benefit has in each
case resulted that the General Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs has un.
dertaken to promote this nationwide
observance. State health officials and
national organizations interested In
public health and child welfare have
taken up the plan and in various ways
are giving it not only their sanction
but their active cooperation. The ex.
tension divisions of the state universe.
ties have promised special assistance
In interesting and helping Baby weeks
in rural communities.
Causes Of infant Deaths.
Tho children's bureau believes
that Baby week will give more par.
ents q chance to learn the accepted
principles OF infant care. and will
awaken every American to his re-
sponsibility for the death Of the
100000 babies who, according to the
census estimates, die every year be-
fore they are twelve months old.
Therefore the childrens bureau has
prepared a special bulletin of practi.
cal suggestions for Baby week cam.
paigns, adapted to the varying needs
of communities of different types.
Copies of this bulletin may be had free
OF charge from the children's bureau
here.
This bureau IL conducting a de-
tailed inquiry into the social and eco.
nomic causes of babieS' deaths. ttS
report shows that the inquiry COM
pleted during the last year reveal an
average infant death rate of 1874 out
of every 1000 babies in a steel-mak
Ing and coal.mining town as against a
rate Of 81 out of every 1000 In q resi-.
Dental suburb. An even greater con.
trast 10 found between the most con-
gested section and the choicest resi-
Dental section in each Of these two
communities.
Commenting upon these findings the
report says: The more favorable the
civic and family surroundings and the
better the general conditions Of life
the more clearly are they reflected In
q lessened infant mortality"
Tie report shows, however. that no
deductions can be made concerning
the relation between the general in
FAINT mortality rate and Industrial EN-,
ployment OF women until the facts
about the number and proportion Of
mothers at work contained In the I'm.