Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-06
EDITOR
BABY SAVING.

| Honolulu's interest in .baby-sayiug" was given a
decided impetus during the Baby Week last
spring and it hoped at that time that one of the
results would be systematic movement for wei
fare stations in the city, coupled with instruction
of girls and young in simple hygiene, domes-
tic science and other subjects.
Over the summer. an awakened community appre-
citation was shown by such developments that of
the vacation school" at Kaiulani and the notable
progress OF children's paygrounds-not directly in
the line of infant welfare work but part of the gen
eral atmosphere of kindly expert supervision of the
youth of this city. Now focus is to be given the
rather nebulous plans of many HOnolulans \ meet
ing has been called for next Monday afternoon at the
Library of Hawaii at which the principal speaker
will be DR. Adelaide Brown, distinguished woman
physician of San Francisco. Dr. Pratt, president
of the board of health to whom this subject of in
FAINT welfare has been close for several years will
also speak briefly. The meeting should have wide
attendance
What strides can be made in "baby-saying by
enlightened methods are shown in recent address
of President Homer Fokes of the American Asso-
citation for the Study and Prevention of Infant Nor
tally He said:
Infant welfare work is the great opportunity have
at the moment to do something which everybody must
believe in.
Just how much do is uncertain, for many
reasons One of these is that We do not know how
much there is to be done What shocking thing 1t
is that nobody make more than approximate
statement of the number infant deaths in the United
States, and that nobody make more than the Wild
est guess to the number of births.
The benefcent results of infant welfare work are
not only and swift; they surprisingly mex
pensive Elaborate institutions are not required We
do have to wait for the SLOW process of securing
large appropriations acquiring Sites and planning and
constructing buildings; need chiefly plenty of paper
printers ink, plenty of trained nurses Print
ers ink, rightly and continuously applied will have
any babies.
In fact there is no other way of reducing the gen.
eral death rate quickly, surely, and cheapy.
Fables saving is the bargain counter Of philanthropy.
A year two ago, had in the United States, so
speak. embryo registration containing the
New England States, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and
certain Cities which estimated infant mortality
for 1910 ESTIMATED by the Census Bureau) was
124 This estimate If 1t correct and if it repre-
scented conditions throughout the country-which it
probably does although nobody knows would put
just above Switzerland with rate of 1913 and next
below Sersda with rate of 146 1.
An account of the New Zealand work in reducing
mortality that in this respect stands ahead
all other countries (gven in leaflet published by
the Childrens Bureau) is fascinating. New Zealand
has population of about 100000 people; it has
Cities of $4,000 in population (ncluding subur
ban areas) Conditions undoubtedly favorable in
various ways in country, but it is striking fact
that New Zealand has reduced its infant mortality
from SO per 1000 in 1902 (then considered very low
fgure to 3S per 1000 in 1912. The factors by which
these astonishing reductions have been brought about
appear be chiefly public education by printers ink
and trained When reads the details OF
what done in New Zealand there seems to be real
ly whatever for thinking that similar re-
suit relatively speaking cannot be had in any part of
the United States If guess is to be made, that of
the New York State Health Department is good as
any--it guesses that there about 100000 infant
deaths in the United States per annum of which it
guesses onehalf-or 10000 are preventabe by means
practicable.
1t is striking fact that while the great set
back the hands of the clock in many lines of social
work. has the time focused attention upon
the problem of infant welfare. In England we learn
that infant welfare ceners have been established
since the broke out than before in the same
length of timethat they formed at the rate of
four or five per week This of course due to the
sudden realization of the vital significance of infant
welfare. May not hope that without having to I'M
dergo the trial by fire of may profit by the
lessons; that may secure nationwide recog
milton of the fact that infant welfare is vital factor
in national welfare. We all talking and thinking
about preparedness Let not forget that no other
form of preparedness is vital than the conser-
walton of human lives, whom in the last analysis
depend the safety of the nation from foes within
as well from foes without