The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-23
Forty Babies Died During First
Six Months of 1891.
City Health Oficer Urges
Greater Care for Them.
THIS YEAR MAY SET RECORD
Total of I01 Deaths as Com.
pared to 1,15S Births.
Only One Infant Died From
Typhoid Fever.

Forty baby lives came and went in
Topeka in the first six months OF this
year. There were 557 baby lives that
came and are still with us in the same
period. Such a death rate is not uEl-
usually high, but never should DO
taken as satisfactory. according to DR..
Earle G. Brown, city health officer.
The hope of Doctor Brown is to have
provided for every mother and every
child such care that the infant more
tally would be greatly reduced.
The rate of infant mortality for the
first six months OF this year approxi-
mates sixty-nine deaths for every
thousand births, Doctor Brown point
ed out. If that rate continues thru
the remainder of the year, there will
infant deaths in the city this year than
there were in Topeka's record year on
infant mortality. when the rate was
fifty-nine deaths for every thousand
births. In 1920 there were eighty
seven deaths for every thousand
births.
More Deaths Among Mexicans.
The infant mortality among the
Mexican and colored children vas
much higher than that of the white
race, the report on infant mortality
for 1921 shows. There were seventy
eight deaths among white babies.
eleven among colored babies and
101 deaths to total of 1,15S births.
Twenty-three babies who died were
under one day OF age, twenty-eighc
| from one day to one month old, eight
cen were from one to three months
old. thirteen were from three to six
months and nineteen were from SIX
months to one year.
One baby died OF typhoid fever.
eight of whoopfng cough, four OF In
fluenza. and one of erysipelas. Five
! died of disease of the nervous system.
sixteen from diseases of respiration.
eighteen from diseases of the digestive
system, and eleven from disease OF
early infancy. Twenty-seven were
prematurely born. Five died from
unknown cause.
More Deaths in Winter.
i The death rate of infants is always
! greater in the winter months than In
the summer months, Doctor Brown
said. In the winter. the severity OF
the weather and the likelihood of
contracting contagious diseases con-
| tribute to the greater number OF
deaths. So, IL 60 deaths per thousand
births is tie rate FOR the first six
months, which include much of the
severe weather of the year, the rate
for the remainder OF the year is not
iapt to be greater, and probably will
be- less.
"Proper care Of expectant mothers.
proper care of infants ana proper
! feeding are vitality important and will
register their effect in infant mortal
ity," Doctor Brown said.
! Free Clinics Held.
If mothers cannot have the care they
need for themselves and babies. the
! city free maternity clinics and baby
welfare clinics are ready to serve
them. The maternity clinic is held
every Tuesday afternoon in a third
floor clinic room of the city hall build
ling.N Doctor Walter Wedding is in
charge with assisting nurse. Baby
welfare clinics are held on the first
floor of the city building every Thurs
day from 2 to 4 o'clock with DIR. Paul
f. Belknap, baby specialist in charge
Every other week on Tuesday from
10 until IL o'clock a baby welfare
clinic is held at the community house
, in North Topeka. DR.. Harold T.
Morris is physician in charge of the
North Topeka clinic.