Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-27
REDUCING BABY
MORTALITY RATE

Prediction Tor bumper WHEAT
CroT this year are no more encour-
aging than the prospects for an I'M
pTccedented crop of babies.
According to the survey OF IN
FAINT mortality statistics CLEANED
from 1913 OF the largest cities OF the
United States for 1917, just COM
pleted by the New York milk com
llittee, the baby death rate OF the
country has ben considerably low
cred. And with the federal gov
eminent fatheriHg a drive TO save
100, 600 babies during the seconc
year OF Americas participation in
the war it is expected that the nat
Ural national increase in population
during 1918 viii surpass the rec
ords OF all previous years.
The infant death rate for the 1913
cities above mentioned, all of which
beast population above 25.00O, was
80. In this group there were 122.-
IA living births OF these TOAST
GIed under one year. Using these
cities as a basis it is estimated that
the living births in the nation to-
tailed 2,6TS.000. This number sub
tTacted from the total deaths OF All
ages approximately l,G4S,OO0)
leaves q natural increase in Uncle
SANS national family OF more than
100000.
The steady fall of the baby
death rate is proof conclusive that
organized infant welfare work in
many parts OF the country is giving
Tie baby a square deal from the
start" said j. H. Larson, secretary
Of the committee. Due TO Tie
knowledge that is being circulated
concerning the benefits Of prenatal
care and the ever increasing num-
Der of mothers receiving this treat
ment the increase in last years
baby crop was large despite the war
and attending hard times. With the
government conducting campaign
to save 1905 babies the infant
mortality rate for 1918 should re-
veal a further decrease. This is
me time when infant welfare work
should be spread everywhere, TO-
healthy babies are the only means
whereby The nation can hope t.
preserve its population IN the face
of the loss of thousands of men in
battle and the surcease Of immigra-
ton
Though there is not much diff
ference among them, analysis Of the
1913 cities which have made their
infant mortality rates public show
that those with populations under
1000 have the best environment
for children and that death among
tsbies is more rife in those larger
cities where poor people are more
abundant and where living cOndi-
tons consequently, are more cor
gested. Cities under 0,000 in 1912
had a baby death rate OF 500, those
from 10000 to 100000 a rate of ga
and those with populations above
100000 $50.
New York City, the metropolis O.
the country, has. reached the low
est baby death rate in its history.
and ranking lower than any other
world city. Although its pOpula-
ton has increased with rapid
strides during the past decade there
were 4,04l less infant deaths last
year than occurred in 1907. Since
then. when the infant mortality rate
was 1853 there has been con-
slant decrease to SIS New York
IS now one of the centers of pre-
natal treatment and the decided
drop in the baby mortality rate
shows the city to be reaping the
benefits of maternity care which
was first introduced there by the
New York Milk committee and
which is now being carried on by
the Maternity Center association in
cooperation with the committee and
kindred organizations
The honor infant death rate
among cities Of 100000 or more
prevailed i'll Omaha, Neb., where
The mark was $50. Close behind
was Seattle, Washington. with a
rate OF 59.4. OF all the cities in
the land Nashville, Tenn, with a
population of 1IG,364 had the high
est rate-IS22
Fixing 100 as the present average
infant death rate Of the Unite:l
States it is found that Of the 43
cities of 100 900 population who re-
ported IS are above this figure and
% below.
Since 1912 when the New York
milk committee commenced its Cx-
periments with prenatal care in this
city stiil-births have been reduced %
per cent. deaths under one month
of age % per cent and maternal
deaths So per cent below rates for
the city in corresponding years.