The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-08-31
N A NY BABIES DIE IN
OKLAHOMA THAT SHOULD
NOT, SAYS DR.. Ii Wis

oklahoma city, Aug, 3O.-one out OF
every - children born In the state OF
Oklahoma dies before 1t Is a year old,
or the IL who live. several more never
get beyond two or three years old
Almost every one of these deaths IL
prevcn,ablc and IL the people OF an
enlightened education do not drastical'
ly slash these figures in the next de-
cade, manslaughter charge will be
preferred against the parents, physi'
clan and nurse responsible.
That was the prediction made today
10y Dr. Arthur II. Lewis, commissioner
of the states public health depart
ment, in making public the figures on
infant mortality in Oklahoma for 1918,
Just completed by the bureau of vital
statistics under Commissioner Lewis
direction.
In six of the biggest cities OF the
state the figures are even worse than
those for the state as a whole, Com
missioner Lewis declares. They show
that one child in every ten, or even
one in every eight, is born under sen.
tence To die, because of criminal neg
loct or carelessness ON the part Of
parents"
Muskogec has the worst infantile
mortality rate, the figures show. In
that city. l52 of every 1000 babies
born die before they are year old.
Sapulpa is second with 1873 deaths TO
the 1000. Oklahoma City and Tulsa
are tied with ll3 out of each 1000
babies fated to an early death. Enid
has 1906, Bartlesville, l0I; Shawnee,
G5.2; and Guthrie, with 62 deaths TO
each | 900 births, has the best record
OF any Of the states bigger cities.
The average for the state is S2.3
deaths to every 900 births.
This is Il wonderfully good average,
Commissioner Lewis explained. but
the figures don't tell the whole truth.
We don't get all the death records,
by any means. and that average prob
ably would be boosted considerably if
they were fully totalled. But AT any
rate, there is no excuse i'm Oklahoma,
with its lack of congested manufacture
ing towns such as are found in the
East, for such appalling infant loss as
Mushogee, Sapulpa, Oklahoma city,
Tulsa and few other cities maintain.
1T is my firm belief that after a
few more years of education such as
this state health department and those
in other states, as well as the nation
al government. are now trying to give,
that legislators will awaken to the
appalling economic loss to the govern
ment that infant mortality causes. and
will put statutes on the books max
ing infant deaths that can be avoided
causes for charges of manslaughter,
at least.
"And why shouldn't they? The lit
tie innocent baby that has nothing TO
do with its coming into the world, has
every right to an opportunity to live
and enjoy the happiness that healthy
persons find in this world. And any
one who impedes its birth and early
years by criminal carelessness or neg
ligence is just as guilty of murder
in the true logical view of the stu
alton as he who strikes down his fel-
ow man who has attained to more ma
-ure years. It's all the same thing
/ life has been lost"
The figures compiled by the state
BOARD show that last year there were
30 Az births in the state and that 2
-63 of the babies died before they were
year old. There We're 566 prema'
ure births. congenital defects caused
he loss of 36S more; whooping cough
ook away 1874; meaSules caused the
ieuth of Sc and pneumonia 1862, while |
infant diairhea killed 46l. All other
,auses We're 1877.