Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-06
NEWSPAPERS BIG
HELL IN SAVING
LIVES OF BABIES
tBy Dr.. f. TRULY King)
Worlds FOREMOST . Baby Saving

"oSy paving "OAA IA ANCW HOA40AlNs
by which the infantile mortality has
been reduced to so low a rate. has
grown from very>humble origins. We
started our campaign with a nurse
and a telephone. This was between
IL ands13 years ago. Our aim was
simply to make accessible to all moth
ers needing advice nurses specially
and authoritatively trained in the es-
sentials for the health OF mother and
child. To get such a nurse into every
household where there were babies
vas our ultimate. goal. This nurse
was intended to do away with the
traditional handing on Of error from
generation to generation. by super.
seding mere, guidance Of the grand
mother or other well-meaning rela-
ton or friends. The nurse was to
ally to the young wife struggling with
the problems of rearing her first
child, the reliable help and guidance
that can be, supplied as the outcome
Of what has been definitely arrived at
as the best course to pursue.
The success. of the first nurse led
to the forming of a committee to
carry on the work and to extend it.
Intelligent. pubAc-spirited people Of
all classes co-operated. and the or
ganization received the ardent and
touPPoA S"hN W.
Lord and Lady Plunkett, Lord Plum
kett being then governor Of New
Zealand. This was IL years ago.. We
had a cerain cas- Of medical sup
port from the beginning, and as the
work made good other doctors and
dentists lent a helping hand. includ-
ing most ..Qfi our university professors.
Thus the spread of the movement be-
came consistent and steady through
out the country. X
Branch societies were formed in
every community Of reasonable size,
these branches consisting of from Is
to rs of the most able and intelligent
representative women from every
class. There. are now between 70 and
80 of these branch committees, and
with the nurses attached to them,
known as !"Plunket Nurses" they coy
er the districts in which they are. stu
Of the society form only a small por-
ton of its workers. Many members
give their time, their money, and. best
LOT tTf,all, themselves to the cause OF
imother and child. and by this mgst
potent#o Of all means contribute to 3he
maintenance. Of health and the pre-:
vention of diseaae. The nurses cover
their assigned districts. not only at
tending to mothers who visit convent
emily situated "Plunkett rooms" t.
have their babies weighed. ETC., and
visiting them regularly. in their
homes, but also holding meetings
from time to time and giving demon.
STATIONS of child care In addition il
is the duty of each nurse to keep i'll
touch by correspondence with inQuir-
ing mothers, especially those who live
in the more inaccessible parts Of the
country. Every woman in a district is
entitled to the service Of one of these
nurses without charge, but contribu.
tons towards the society's funds are
always welcome. g.
One of our first steps was to found
q baby hospital at Dunedin-the med
ical center for our university. A
This hospital is mainly an educa-
tional center, playing of course an inn
portant role in the direct saving of
child life. but intended broadly tc
serve as a training center not only. f61
Plnnkett Nurses but also for the
teaching of medical and domestic sci
ence students and for educating the
public who are encouraged to visit-the
institution. Visitors receive every at
teption from the nurses. 4e
Finally, we have brought into oul
service every means of printed pub.
licity available for the work of edu.
cation in mothercraft. \ For II year,
the society has had one definite. con.
sistent, authoritative weekly column
Our Babies," published in leading
newspapers throughout New Zealand
In column\Questions are solicited
and answered, and information con-
corning maternal and infant hygiene i,
given. We give advice about the pre-.
venti9n Of disease but we do not en-
ter into questions of treatment which
would properly come within the
province of the physician. Mothers
are always referred to doctors Z for
these matters. Further, pamphlets
are continually being printed and ,dis.
tributed by the society. and through
the cooperation of the public health
department and the government, I'd
young wives and mothers Of all class,
es in order to educate them not only
in infant hygiene but also. inl the in.
teresting and fascinating sides OF
childhood and to warn parents against
spelling, over-indulging. over-stimu.
lating, or showing the babies of as II
they were mere playthings.