The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-10

the problem. and in a memorandum
dated one day before the war broke
out IN Europe this board recommend
1 ed that the following measures be
adopted: That the systematic home
visiting of infants and young children
\ be carried on by public nurses; that
centers Tor infant and maternal well
| fare be established; that the proper
| prenatal and obstetrical care be pro-
vided for mothers; that greater atten-
| ton be paid to the child between in
/ fancy and school age, and that public
and private work be co-ordinated A
grant was thereupon made by the gov
eminent. and. in spite of the war, the
recommendations of the board have
| been carried out with painstaking eff
fort.
Danger From Milk Shortage.
| Ever since the war Great Britain has
been watching its infant mortality rate
! with as much concern as its casualty
/ lists. In 1914 the rate was the same
as the year before; in 1915-owing to
| the entrance of many mothers and
prospective mothers in the munition
! industries, it is believed by some-the
mortality rate rose until it reached
/ 10 per 1000 births In 1915, how
ever, it dropped to 91-the lowest rate
, for any year on record. This decline
| is attributed by British authorities to
several things: to the remarkably cool
summer that year; to the increase in
the wages of workmen and to the I'M
| tagging efforts of the government
board which, by the aid of the noti-
! fication of births act passed the year
| before, managed to keep track of
every mother and infant.
| In this country a great deal of in1
| FAINT welfare work has been done also.
| Baby weeks have-been carried on with
enterprising regularity; infant well
fare stations have been established in
many sections, and the chi1dren's
bureau has investigated the subject of
| infant mortality with great thorough
\ ness. All the club women, charitable
| organizations and government experts
engaged in this work make the same
4 assertion. Infant mortality is inev-
itably connected with poor economic
conditions.
The present danger from the short
age in milk is but an instance. There
are. many other things American in
fants do not get which they should
! have-sufficient baths, for example !;
clean clothes, and space to breathe.
! Heretofore private charity has helped
| to alleviate conditions when they hap
| pened to come within its scope, but
now almost all American private
! charity has turned it's contributions
| into the Golfers of war. At woman's
| meeting not long ago, a director of
! child hygiene in the health depart
| ment of large city attempted to get
/ the women interested in the greater
| necessity of infant welfare work in
! time of war. but they would not listen.
! They had gathered to discuss nursing
soldiers and other preparations for
war, several members informed her, so
| the director retired in some con-
fusion.
Under these circumstances the only
! hope of our American infants seems to
! lie. in government intervention and
supervision. Judging by foreign ex-
/ perience,. the nation either needs a
/ board to see that the children get their
/ share of milk and other necessities,
or infant welfare work should be pro-
nounced the most important war duty
| of the American women.
| Questions on the above or any sub
! iect 1pon which the reader desires in
! formation, should be addressed the
| Topeka State Journal Information Bu-
reau. Frederic j. Haskin. Director,
! Washington, D. c., with a Scent
| stamp enclosed for ep1y.