Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-27
NEEDED AID GIVEN
BY BABIES HOSPITAL
Case of Little Nat Exemplifies
Work Done at South Ninth
Street Dispensary

Nat, an italian boy twelve years old. came
running into the Babies Hospital dispensary
334 South Ninth street, a few days ago. an
nouncing in great excitement: ME mothers
got new baby and we amt got no clothes
to put on It. Can't you please come to our
house right away?"
That was how the visiting nurse and the
dspensary folk became acquainted with
Mats family. A visiting nurse went back
home with the child to find the mother and
six children living in one tiny squalid room.
The father had been sent to prison four
months before and the family was without
means Of support. Two Of the children, in
addition to the new baby, were almost en-
tirely without clothes.
The Babies Hospital folk were making
preparations for their annual Christmas
party for dependent children and their
mothers, but prenatal and postnatal care are
specialties OF the hospital so ''reconstruc-
tion period" was begun in Mats home right
then and there.
The mother and baby are under the care
of a nurse sufficient clothing has been pro-
vided to make the family comfortable and
the nurse is giving attention to the other
children, instructing the older ones how to
bathe and care for the younger brothers and
sisters and how to clean the room and take
care Of the place. The mother. who was
utterly discouraged when the nurse found
her. has responded to the care and sympathy
and Is getting stronger.
This Is Just one of the many cases that
have come under the care of the Babies
Hospital in the last month. A few years ago
the term "baby-saving" meant hospital or
a clinic where sick babies might receive
treatment. But physicians and nurses have
learned that most of the illnesses encoun-
tered were preventable, and now prophylactc
and prenatal clinics have been established.
The expectant mother Is advised by compe-
tent physicians. She Is visited In her own
home by a trained nurse. whose business II
Is to see that the doctors orders are fol-
lowed II these orders include special diet
which the patient Is too poor to procure the
nurse arranges with the proper agencies so
the food can be obtained. II a few weeks
rest Is ordered and there Is family who
cannot be left, temporary homes are provided.
If housing conditions are insanitary they are
improved. II sympathy and encouragement
are needed the nurse Is ready to supply them.
The cost OF treating one baby In a hospital
for three weeks (about the average length
of stay) Is the same as that for all neces-
sary. prenatal care Of four mothers. Statis-
tics have already proved that not only many
babies lives, but many mothers lives are
saved by wise prenatal care, and the amount
of suffering saved and happiness gained can
not be estimated.
In the case OF the little Italian boys
famlly there was no prenatal care, Dut the
mother has eagerly asked II she might come
to the clinic as soon as she Is able to bring
the baby
The Babies Hospital has It's city dispen-
sary at 334 South Ninth street. and also a
summer hospital at Llanerch. A new hospital
which will house all divisions of the work
Is to be erected at Seventh and De Lancey
streets, where property was recently pur-
chased. Plans for the new building include
wonderful open-air wards and all the modern
equipment for treatment of mothers and
babies.