The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-03-09
Saving the Babies.

. New ZeNllnd has long had mellow
est infant death rate in the world
and more than any other country New
Zealand Is actively working to reduce
it's death rate still further. This
saving of babies lives has progressed.
most markedly since the New Zeal
and Society for the Health or Women
and Children began In 1907 Its In
structive nursing.
The nurses of this society-called
"Plunket nurses" from the former
governor and his wife who assisted
DIR. TRULY King in organizing the So
cIety--work from some seventy CEN
tiers scattered through the dominion
and visit periodically all the neigh
boring towns and outlying districts to
give advice and instruction in matters
pertaining to the hygiene Of mother
hood.
The services Of the nurse are at the
disposal OF every member of the COM
munity. rich and poor, and especial
emphasis Is laid on the value of her
advice and help to exnectant mothers.
She does not, however, undertake the
daily care of sick people as her pri-
mary aim Is educational. When the
visit of the Plunket nurse Is expect
ed in community the local commit
lee nrranges for her to hold mothers
meetings md demonstration Of hahV
care In addition to classroom talkH
and home visits. Correspondence with
mothors Ia country districts too re-
mote to be visited often Is also a
part OF her duties. The society fur
Their maintains at Dunedin the Kari
tane-Harris hospital for babies and
mothers, which la primarily u school
for mothers.
Tho aims Of the society have been
thus defined:
"Tha society IL less concerned In
reducing the death rate than In Inn
proving the health OF the people. AS
n health society, we are more inter-
ested in firmly establishing the all
round fitness Of the $4,000 nr $4,000
annual new arrivals who will live
than we are In reducing the potential
denths from 1000 to 900. However,
tho problems are practically identical,
since the simple hygienfc measures
which tend to prevent death In baby
hood are also the measures which lay
the foundations Of strong and healthy
minds in sound, enduring bodies for
those who survive to be our future
men and women"
This educational work by volun-
teer society supplements In New
Zealand system of public health
work by the government which In
c1ures a complete registration OF
births, a corps Of district nurses. dis
trtbuteh thrnughout the country, ma
tsrnlty hospitals In the cities and
maternity wards In many Of the coun-
FRY hosnltals and strict regulation
OF rlitwiYes with the enforcement Of
penalty for the occurrence Of sop
tic cases.
Tn presenting a rennrt ON the work
of this New Zealand society Miss ..
thron. chief Of tho chlldren's bNrnnn
of the United States Department uf
"Racause of the absence OF ade-
ouate birth and death registration in
the United States. the infant death
rate Of this country as whole is u1-
known. but estimates tend to show
that II Is at least twice the rate In
New Zealand. which the registrar
general Of that country reported in
1912 to be fifty-one per 1000. New
Zealand, like certain OF our States.
is a young and vigorous country with
q scattered population and with no
large cities, and there Is every reason
10 believe that similar volunteer eff
fort in this country would produce
similar results"