Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1916-02-18
STATE FEDERATION
Of WOMEN'S CLUBS
Some Good Suggestions for Making
Better Babies Weeks" Success
In ANY Community

BY mutual agreement with the
Children's Bureau of the United
States Department of Labor and the
Federation of Womens Clubs and
state and local boards of health, the
week OF March 4th to 18th has been
set aside as Better Babies Week"
THAT progress has been made in
tile preservation of babies lives is
demonstrated by the fact that a
study of the vital statistics compiled
Tor what is known as the "Registra-
ton Area" of the United States,
shows that there are between 5000
and 10000 fewer deaths among ba-
oies under one year old every year
han occurred annually ten years
ago. This is a great saving in lives,
but far more babies than should be
Permitted continue to die when less
than one year old.
The Better Babies Week" move
n.ent, which is a nation-w one, is
intended not only to preserve the
lives of babies but to enable those
who live to become stronger, happier
and better men and women-better
American citizens.
Just what action should be taken
III each locality must rest with the
individual members of the committee
or organization that has the work
i'll hand. A few suggestions as to
lines that might be followed may not
be out of place.
We often find committees asking
for posters and other dodgers of gen
eral information which has no local
color. This material may have some
influence, but material bearing local
color will have far more weight than
tons of material without local color.
The Childrens Bureau of the u. S. |
Department of Labor gets out mum
Der of placards that are of general |
interest, and each club or committee |
should Immediately apply to that de-
partment for copies of such placards |
as they may have. In order to give |
local color to an exhibit, pictures OF |
unsanitary and sanitary conditions |
IN the immediate neighborhood |
should be exhibited. A little effort |
on tho part of the committee will Sc |
cure the active cooperation of local |
photographers, who can secure ex- |
cellent photographs of such condi- |
tons in your locality. A photograph |
OF sanitary dairy placed beside a |
photograph OF an unsanitary dairy |
both existing in your immediate |
neighborhood, will have far more |
reaching effect than any number of |
printed posters. Equally good re-
suits are secured by placing a picture
OF a sanitary toilet in your own town
beside picture of an unsanitary
toilet in a neighbours yard Many
other sanitary and hnsanitary local
conditions may be presented at a
nominal cost by cooperating with a
local or amateur photographer.
The care of the baby cannot be
taught by pictures or by print in any
thing like the effeetual manner as
by actual demonstration. Every
community has one or more trained
.., ses. What better exhibit for the
care of the baby could you possibly
A~'e than to employ the time of
Fese nurses for the entire week?
Secure suitable room, centrally To-
Gated, and by the cooperation of the
others have supply of babies on
Ind and let these nurses demon
stTate how to handle the baby, how
to dress it. how to wash it. how to
prepare its food, and, in general,
how to take care of the baby in
proper manner. Such an exhibit
would carry wonderful weight
The fathers do not consider suffi-
GENTLY the care of their babies, nor
does the baby claim any of his at |
tention aside from providing food |
for it. Few of your fathers will at |
tend your exhibit, but it would not |
be at all impracticable to have your
local committee secure the coopera-
ton of the various lodges and socie-
ties in your locality, to the extent
that they hold joint meeting one
night during tho week. At this
meeting have your local physicians,
or such other local talent as you may
have. talk to these fathers upon their
responsibility to the child, aud espee-
tally along the lines of the response
bility that rests upon the father of
transmitting 10 his child sound
constitution and his responsibility in
the preservation of such sound con-
stitution by seeing that unsanitary
conditions are not permitted to exist