Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-06
PROGRAM At BABY
WELFARE STATION
Visiting Nurse Association Plans Spe
cial Session Wednesday-Dr.
Emily Wright Speaks.

Special preparations have been
made for a meeting Wednesday in OBJ
servance of baby welfare week, when
the Visiting Nurse association will
join with the West End Settlement ir
a program to be given at the baby
welfare station at the settlement. At ?
o'clock DR.. Emily Wright will ad
dress the meeting on some subject OF
special interest to mothers and on the
care Of their children. At 2:30 the
nurses will give a demonstration of
the proper way to battle babies and
later will follow a musical program
with songs by Miss Harriet Larkin
and readings by Mrs. Faye Hough Nc
Carthy The Helpers circle of kings
Daughters will then serve refresh
ments and be hostess at the social ses-
sion. Every mother and every one in
| terested in the work of the baby well
! fare station is invited to attend and
they will be made very welcome.
! There is no doubt that the problems
which arise in taking care Of baby
in summer are more difficult for the
city mother than for the one who
lives in a village or in the country.
Overcrowded houses. lack of fresh
air, Of sunshine, and of open spaces
for play and out of door life make
very hard conditions under which to
try to rear healthy children.
During the summer months in most
of the larger cities there is an enorm-
Gus increase in the number of sick
babies, many of whom fail to survive
this period. These well-known facts
have led to the establishment all over
the country of what are known as in
FAINT welfare or milk stations. These
stations are rooms in charge of train
ed nurses and physicians, to which
any mother who desires may bring her
baby for help and advice in his care
The object of these welfare stations
is to keep the babies we'll. and to pre-
vent illness by watching the babies
closely and by teaching the mothers
how to take care of them. If a baby is
found to be sick the mother is re-
ferred to her own physician if she has
one. If not, she is usually sent to a
dispensary. The principal factor in
: keeping the baby we'll is to have him
properly fed. Accordingly the ply.
; stefan who cares for the baby directs
: this very carefully. If the mother has
= no physician, the station doctor will
examine the baby and order diet fol
: him. The nurses will be glad to as.
= slst the mother in following out his
: directions, and will visit her in he,
= home for this purpose.
Such is the station located at the
West End Settlement under the direc.
ton of Misses Flanagan and Turn.
= bull.
The baby is weighed at each visit
and examined to see if he needs any
special care. If so, the doctor ex
plains this to the mother The bah,
should be brought back to the station
at regular intervals in order that the
doctor and nurse can watch him. II
thlS way much of the illness from
which babies suffer can be prevented
and mothers and babies spared a grea
deal of suffering.
Mothers who are i'll or worn on
with the burdens OF home, may find il
a visit with the baby to such a station
unexpected help in their problems
. Some effort is made to teach mother.
the rudlments CT domestic science il
the nome, when this is needed. Moth
els especially who go out to work h
Tue DAY, should try to send the bab7
, 10 inc station by caretaker. for sucl
pables need the welfare stations hel,
; even more than others. If some Nom
, Der OF the family is sick, other tina,
o the baDy, and the baby is registere,
: at the station, the nurses and doctor
O thefe VIII usually be able to advis,
here where and how to seek assist
. ance
These infant welfare stations ar,
6 intended for the use of all mothers i,
the neighborhood who need help in In,
care or their babies. and no one need
ing It, should fail to avail herself O
q this opportunity.
: All the news all the time TIL,
: Argus