The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-28


ment of Labor.)
written for the Topeka State Jour-
nal.)
During baby week a community
asks itself how the youngest citizens
are being protected and cared for, and
baby week should mark a fresh start
toward meeting their varied needs
OF course community can protect
it's little children only as it protects
the home in which they live and so
the commounity work during baby
week and afterwards may we'll con-
slider three things; ARE we safeguard
ing the life and health of mothers?
Are tho parents in this community
learning how to care for their chill
dren so that they will grow up Wen
end good and happy? Are we tolerat-
INC economic standards which make
decent. wholesome. intelligent care
impossible?
of these three things, perhaps the
first is the least generally understood
and therefore the protection OF Ihoth-
ers might well receive special empha-
sis during this years baby week
$4,000 Mothers Die Annually.
Some $4,000 mothers are dying each
wear from causes connected with
childbirth altho maternal deaths are
in large measure preventable, ana uh-
counted mothers are suffering from
unnecessary illness because they nave
not had proper maternity care. All
this reacts disastrOusly on the child
rem. who pay for the lack of "A strong
happy mother in many ways some
tunes with their own lives, sometimes
With unnecessary illnesses, sometimes
with constitutions permanently weak
ened past upbuildins. Personally, L
believe that many mothers do not un-
dcrstanG their own needs. They do
not realize how important good ma
ternity care is both to themselves and
t. their ba Dies. If baby week could
help mothers to see more clearly how
much OF their illness and danger is
UreventabIe, 1t would mark long
step toward making available to all the
means of preventing unnecessary i'll
cas and death from maternal causes
At present many eXpectant moth
crs make no attempt to secure skilled
supervision turnout the months be
fore their babies are born. They do
mot insist on hospital care or trained
attendance in their homes during con-
fincment. After-care and a period of
rest until strength has returned are
essentials absolutely unknown in many
homes
ChiIdren's Bureau Offers Aid.
Then there is the whole field of ny
giene, which is still very little under
SIOOQ DN DlduN people dlltO II Is VI pIl-
mary Importance in preventing COM
plica tions for the mother and the ILL
ness of her baby. Simple and popular
statements of the daily care which an
eXpectant mother should have and the
kind of care q we'll baby should have
are contained in two bulletins of the
Childrens bureau and in various short
err pamphlets which can also be Sc
cured by any mother without cost
During baby week, copies of such lit
erature can be placed in the hands OF
many mothers, and wide publicity car
be given to the value of such informa-
ton in preventing illness.
OF course mothers may understand
perfectly what they need in the way
of food and clothing and rest and they
may realize that they should have
skilled supervision and trained attend
ance. but they may be quite unable tC
obtain these things. Baby week car
not stop with a campaign of publicity
about the mothers needs. 1t mus
also develop, or inaugurate, commun.
ity work by which the essentials OF
proper care are made available t
every mother. Visiting nurses, pre-.
natal clinics, maternity hospitals. ant
infant-welfare stations have proved
their value in many cases. 1 doub
if there is a single community in thu
country-whether a congested city
small town. or a scattered rural settle
ment-where further provision foI
maternity care is not urgently needed