Evening journal., 1918-05-22
! HIGH death RATE
I AMONG CITY BABIES
IL Out of Every 100 Born
Die in Their
Infancy
OPEN STATIONS
TO SAVE TOTS

Twelve babies out Of every 400 born
In this city die in infancy. This Is a
greater death rate among infants than
IS shown by the records OF New York.
philadelphia and Chicago.
II is this appalling death rate that
has caused the Department OF Labor al
Washington to spur the Women's Com
mittee Of the Council Of National De.
Tense, OF this state, TO immediate ae-
ton in the Child Welfare campaign
that began in this city on Monday.
The figures quoted-i2 babies out Of
every iO0-wero obtained from a care
ful survey Of the Vital statistics OF the
city, and they are as near accurate as
1t is possible 10 obtain accuracy. II
anything they are inclined to be con-
servative. Miss jeanette Eckman. Sec
retary OF the Women's Committee OF
the State Defense Council. vouches for
the figures.
There are many ways Of helping to
reduce such great infant mortality, and
among these is the weighing and meas
uring campaign started at School No.
u on Monday. This afternoon another
child Welfare Station VIII be opened
at the Babies Hospital This station
will be open Wednesday and Friday af- /
ternoons from 230 until 4 O'Clock. To-
morrow the Peoples Settlement station I
VIII be opened, and next Monday there I
will be a station established at tho /
Polish kindergarten, Chestnut and
Adams streets. and on Tuesday at Old
Swedes parish house.
Other stations viii be established Just
a soon as patriotic women come for
ward and volunteer for service an hour
or two, as many days in the week as
they can spare the time. The work IL
light and lnteresting-sup supremely so TO
one who is a mother-and In import
Rnoe, there can be nothing more SO
than in the saving Of human life.
That's what the work ls-saving hui
man life. The children brought TO the
Welfare Stations are weighed and !
measured and looked over by physi- {
clans and trained nurses, who seek for
ailments that may have passed even I
the critical eye OF the mother I
The mother is given advice; the child
nothing. on the mother depends 8
whether the child shall obtain treat {
ment II II Is necessary or better food [
The plan Is one Of education solely {
One OF the things that the vomen's I
committee hopes 10 obtain this year is !
reduction Of the mortality One-ihlrd I
that is to reduce the number Of /
deaths among infants from twelve TO I
nine.
The most important thing Just now is !
the weighing and measuring OF the T
children under years. This accom-
plished, the follow-up work will be un- ,
dertaken. In this weighing and measur-
ing every citizen who respects himself
and who takes pride in his community
hiss a duty TO perform.
He should explain TO mothers neigh
bors, sisters and relatives that 70 Is ,
essential to the future OF this com !
munity that every child under 5 years I,
of age should be weighed and measured. ,
There Is no charge for the service. the
child is not harmed or put through any =
Kind Of test, and the whole object Is
better health for the baby. Out Of
touch with many material things hap
penlng in the world, mothers are apt to :
look with suspicion on the weighing and J.
measuring. It Is TO allay their suspicion
that the citizen may do his part and aid
the State Council Of Defense to reduce 2
the death rate among Delaware babies U
this year. e
Records Of what Delaware Is doing
are being sent to Washington each
week. Oflclals Of the children's bureau
n the Department Of Labor are keeping 10
scrutiny on what Delaware women or
re doing, because Of the high death IN
ate among children. That's why the M
ask Is not going 90 be an easy one OF
lr the women's committee. -
A conference OF workers was held yes We
,riay and plans outlined for the open IN,
Y Of more OF the thirteen centers m
AIMED for the city. Marie t. Lock abb
ood. superintendent OF the Visiting for
irse Association, and Miss Betty -
.ime. who has charge OF the work at
. Babies Hospital and Peoples Settle a
il stations made timely suggestions Y
to haw the work might be made more
looth and expedited.