New-York tribune., 1919-07-06

ton. The campaign IS party u
enlist membership for the organi
zation and partly to educate women
who may need the benefits Of the
centres.
The associations purpose is te
coordinate all organized efforts to
proyide for prenatal care, to find
ont the communities where no such
care is provided and to establish
new centres where they are needed
Posters announcing some rather
humiliating facts concerning the
care which mothers receive or dc
not receive in this country, as COM
pared with that they get in others,
have been published and are being
distributed. Even he who runs for
q subway train or even an elevated
cannot help seeing the blue and
white announcements
THAT 1857 babies died in
New York City under one year
of age in 1918 and $50 others
were stillborn.
THAT one out of three of these
babies and nearly all Of the
mothers could be saved by care
given before the baby's birth.
THAT European countries
practising this care have reduced
their infant death rate even dur
ing the war.
THAT during the same period
the infant death rate in the
United States has increased.
These are some VI the facts
which the association deals in and
which il insists that every one should
know. They are blazoned on the
posters, and list of the maternity
centres in New York follows. The
slogan of the campaign is:
Won't you help make America
first in maternity safety"
Since its organization, a year age
last April, the Maternity Centre AS
ISOLATION has established twenty-five
centres in Manhattan. The work
has been extended to Brooklyn anc
The Bronx, but not on large scale,
Records are being kept Of all the
cares handled, and the children'S bu-
reau Of the Department Of Labor in
Washington will make an analysis
of the work when enough has Been
completed to make a showing.
Each maternity centre or station
has from one to four trained nurses
Women who cannot afford to consult
physicians for prenatal care are
urged to 90 TO the centre, where the
nurse makes tests and gives instruc
tion on the proper clothing. Once q
week the doctor holds a clinic at tht
centre. Every new patient is ex'
pected 10 have one thorough physi
cal examination the first week sht
visits the clinic. After that she i:
expected to register with a hospita
or a physician. The nurse at the
centre sometimes goes out to the
homes Of the women who need espe
cial care.
Several centres have developed
mothers clubs. There are mode
layettes for inspection and little gar
ments for sale at cost. In som'
eases they have materials and pat
terms which the mothers themselves
can use.
TIE women who respond to tn
work Of tho Maternity Centre AS
socia,ion hrst are those Of the mor'
intelligent type. They have helped
spread the work in their neighbor
hoods.
1t is the object Of the Maternity
Centre Association 70 cooperate witt
every organization which does worl
related to It's own. One Of The
latest projects with which they are
planning cooperation is that Of 6
maternity education committee re
Gently organized in Harlem. A com
rittee Of citizens in that neighbor
hood has been organized 10 make th'
maternity education Of the distric'
q community affair. The committe'
will furnish quarters, and as soor
a. they are established the Ma
trnity Centre Association will star
. clinic.
The work and records Of the Ma
tsrn!ty Centre Association will b.
confined 10 New York City for th'
present. II is the hope Of the as
soc;ation that its accomplishment
may b Of use 10 other communitic'
5nilas work