New Britain herald., 1919-02-14

1eedfMys - ls4FeTuvantage or |
having q. doctor instead of a midwife |
The death rate due to child birth is
second only to that from tuberculosis
The infant death rate in this country
is one baby in every seven and these
figures surely show the need of pre-
natal care to reduce these needless
deaths of mothers and babies. One
of our nurses has taken special pre-
natal and delivery work in New York
and is ready to advise and instruct
the prospective mothers. She is also
on call for the delivery at any time
of the day or night when the doctor
wishes her.
The first draft of men for the United
States army showed 80 per cent suffer-
ing from physical defects. The weigh
ing and measuring contest showed 500
subnormal children in this city, and
these figures, too, show the great need
of preventive work. We have COM
menced visiting the 500 sub-normal
children. Many of them are under
weight and under nourished. This
means that we should have places i'll
different parts OF the city where
mothers may come and be taught
about diets and interested in the de-
velopment of their children. We have
dietetics. She is studying food values
and cost and will be able to help the
mothers buy economically the food
of the greatest nutritive values, and
will be able to instruct the mothers as
to the best diets for different ages.
We need a large milk fund.- for milk
is really the most important part of
the childs diet. Where there are
many young children in the family
milk may be bought for the baby then
the others have to go without it.
We also need a place and the means
for sending these children away next
summer, for many of them live in
families of eight or nine crowded into
three rooms. Our little influenza,
pneumonia and empyema children
need to be put right out into the
country next summer Even nourish-
ing food, if they sleep in q room SX10
with only one window and perhaps no
sunshine is not sufficient.
We have a large number of tonsil
cases and many of them are in fami-
lies too poor to pay for an operation.
Some plans will have to be devised for
their care. The dentists have most
generously come to our help in the
care of the childrens teeth. Seventeen
| members of the New Britain Dental
| society have agreed to care for the
| teeth of all children whose parents
are unable to pay. We feel that in Of
| fering to do this the dentists have
| shown the finest professional spirit.
| Good teeth mean better health, and
! when we improve health we make
| better citizens. If we neglect health
| education and care and all the pre-
ventive work that is done hereby, we
| shall later have to expend large sums
| for the care of sickness and of those
made dependent.
Isn't it better to expend money now
To keep we'll babies well.
| To reduce the number of premature
| and still births.
To reduce the infant death rate.
To reduce the number of deaths
| from childbirth.
To transform puny, sickly babies in
! to we'll, strong ones.
To give the older childen who have
had wrong start some chance to de-
| velop and become strong.
To prevent epidemics or if one gets
started, to limit it's spread and prevent
| serious effects.
To reduce poverty and long periods
of inactivity, dependency and dis
coura cement due to illness.