The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1918-04-12
EVERY COMMUNITY
Save ITS own BABIES
Greater Care Needed in Pro.
lection of Nations
Children.

The second year of the war should
be marked by determined nationwide
effort on behalf Of childhood. Other
warning countries have learned that
national security required the protec-
ton of children. They r proving
their conviction by extraordinary
effort and large expenditure. The
children's bureau of the United States
department of labor and the child well
fare department of the women's COM
mittee of the council of national de-
tense are therefore calling upon the
United States to heed the experience
wear of the war, in fact as well as in
name, a children's year throughout
the country.
If argument were needed for great
er attention to the physical care of
children in the United States, it is
found in the result of the first draft
with its rejection of one-third of the
men as not physically sound. We are
told that a large proportion of the re-
~jections were for causes dating back
to infancy and early childhood which
could have been removed had they
been recognized and treated properly
at the right time. The weighing and
measuring test which is to mark the
Inauguration of children's year, is in
tended to aid in forestalling like de-
fciencies in the young of today.
According to the bureau, height and
weight and their relation to each
other are a rough index of a young
child's health and development. For
instance, when a child is strikingly be-
low the average weight for his height
or is strikingly. small for his age, it
indicates that expert advice about
diet and daily care is needed. In so
far as the test makes it plain to par
ents that the physical condition of
their children needs special attention,
and in so far as it leads to community
provision for public health nurses and
consultation centers for babies and
young children, to a safeguarding of
the milk supply, and to other measures
for the protection of children, it will
aid in conserving their health and in
reaching the goal of 100000 lives
served during children's year.
During the year 1917, Montant lost
1859 children under five years of
age, exclusive Of stillbirths. That is,
the deaths of children under five
years Of age represented more than
twenty-four per cent Of the total
deaths for the year. There were 1854
deaths from pneumonia and dis
eases Of the respiratory tract, 200
deaths from acute intestinal diseases
and 1855 from infectious diseases.
slx hundred and eighty-four deaths
from preventabie causes in one year.
Of the $1,000 children to be saved,
the quota for Montana is 36O. !
The population Of Valley county was
increased during 1917 by 367 births;
and was decreased by 1876 deaths. Of
these deaths, 40 We're of children un-
der five years Of age.
The safeguarding and protection Of
children is looked upon as a patriotic
duty in view of the unavoidable vast
age of human life incident to war.
1t is expected that the 5000 or more
local committees of the child welfare
department of the woman's committee
will be able to carry the campaign to
every community in the United States.
1t is looked upon as essential to the
success of the movement, for in the
last analysis, every community must
saved at all. State and federal agen-
cies, either official or voluntary, can
ave its own babies if they are to be
make plans and offer suggestions but
each community must bear it's fell
share of responsibility in making the
campaign a success
The state department of health calls
upon all health officers and public
health nurses of the state to lend their
heartiest cooperation to this work.