The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-04-27


United States from conditions incident
to maternity, while the extent of un-
necessary Ill health is at present I'M
known. "The sickness or death of a
mother inevitably lessons the chances
Of her baby for life and health, and it
Is plain that the question Of maternal
care in rural districts is Of genuine
public interest"
An argument for better care of ru-
raj childhood is based on the high per-
centage of physical defects among
children in rural schools given in re-
ports of state boards Of health. Miss
LathrOp concludes: "These cOmpari-
sons are a strong indication that there
is room for great permanent improve
ment in maternal and child-welfare
work in rural districts. The day when
all rural children shall be well born
and well cared for is far ahead, but
surely that day should dawn first for
the country"
In connection with the bureaus ru-
raj studies a child hygiene expert
holds a children's health conference,
to which parents bring their children
for examination and advice about daily
care (but not for medical diagnosis or
treatmenD. Parents have shown great
eagerness for this kind of help in the
counties already visited, bringing their
children often long distances, over bad
roads, and even sacrificing farmwork
for the journey.
State and other local officials are
urging the bureau to cooperate with
them in similar studies and demOnstra-
tfons in many states, and number of
rural units to extend their work are
among the items for which the bureau
asks a larger staff and appropriation.
Miss Lathrop believes that such fed
eral studies, making plain the neces-
sity and suggesting a method are
bound to lead toward adequate local
provision for maternal and child well
fare.
The children's bureau has prepared
many publications concerning the gen.
eral questions of child welfare. They
will be sent free of charge to parents
and to others who are interested in the
subject There are several series of
these publications. They concern
themselves with virtually every phase
of the great subject to which it is the
bureaus duty to give its consideration.
1t is possible that few persons have
an adequate knowledge of the breadth
Of the work which the children's bu-
reau is undertaking. 1t has within It's
scope Of study, suggestion and action
not only the care Of babies and of
children of little larger growth, but
of mothers before and after the births
Of their children; Of feeble-minded
children; of training-school efforts; Of
labor problems; and, in fact Of every
thing which will tend to conserve the
life, mentality, physique and happiness
of the little folk Of the United States.
Comparatively recently the chill
dren's bureau started out on what it
calls "Baby-week campaigns" "Baby
weeks" have been held recently in
many of the large cities of the coun-
try. These "weeks' can be held sue
cessfully in communities of all sizes.
The form that they take, however, will
vary greatly in different places. AS
Miss LathrOp says, "a rural commu-
nifty will not wish to carry out the elab-
crate program which will seem neces-
sary in a big city to reach the people
On the other hand, many large cities
may not be ready at certain time to
carry on an elaborate program which
will demand considerable expense and
the constant labor Of many people, but
may be anxious nevertheless, to bring
the subject Of babies to the attention