Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-19

loss of life that annually ocNirs almost
unnoticed through our neglect OF mothers
and babies Two hundred and thirty-thrce
Delaware men lost their lives during the
period of the war One thousand six hum
dred and fifty-live Delaware babies under
two year of age died during 1918 and
1910 alone.
State Assumes Responsibility. Happily
the state has assumed partial RESPONSE
bilty for the odds against the baby. In
1910 it appropriated $4,000 year for
two years to the Reconstruction Com
mission TO provide such protection for
mothers and children Ms never before had
been accorded them by the state. Tho
money from the state covers only frac-
ton of the present need, but it shows the
good faith OF the state in regard TO lbs
children ms also by the provision in the
law under which tho Commission operates,
that il shall make recommendation for
such further legislation ~ il may believe
to be desirable. Increasing the chance
of the Delaware child TO live is tho sound
est state policy. European countries arc
acting upon the conviction that the nation
which takes the best care Of its children
will first overcome the losses Of war and
arrive At leadership.
First Work. The Reconstruction Com
mission began its work May /, 1919, on
the frm foundation cf facts presented by
the research and activities of the Womane
Committee of the State Council Of De
Tense The Committee had discoverrd tho
appalling facts that at least 1875 hahIes Of
every 900 born in Delaware were dying
before reaching one year of sge snd that
about 20 per cent Of the children in Sussex
county and in Wilmington did not 1.-Two
to be FIVE years old. IL hnd also leaned
that communities in other states had
greatly lowered similarly tragic rates by
mears of intensive health service for
mothers and children. The Committee
made a close study of the methods that
had been most successful elsewhere and
organized and operated it's work ac-
cordingly.
Child Health Ceutors--Ten child health
ccnters have been fully operated by the
Commission. and six others by q oo-opera-
tive plan. Five eenters supported by
the Commission are located in Whining
ton and one each at Scaford, Georgetown.
Dover. Middletown and Newark To the
centers have come thousands Of mothers
and children desiring the secrets Of health
and from them have gone rurses crusad-
ing for health The main idea governing
the service has been that en ounce of
prevention In worth q pound Of cure,
consequently great effort has been put
into teaching the big truths of general
hygiene and proper care Of mothers,
babies, and children The service has been
carried on by a corps Of physicians, nurses.
and social workers and volunteer assis-
tants Physicians all over the state have
generously given their services without
4 r. 4. Al. Il. a.. .,..t
social workers have been paid
Volume Of Nork-To December ],
1920, 1924 mothers and children have
received child health service. either at tho
centers or bv honn or school visits of tho
health center nurses. These cases include
49S prepatal cases and II .7a6 cases of
children ranging in ago from infancy
through adolescence: 1. 1Gn were schools
examination cases In the iaet nine months
commission nurses made le.445 visits 90
homes Of patients and patients made
IA. GAO visits 90 centers Prenatal care and
instruction for expeCtant mothers has
been an important branch Of the service
Three dispensaries have also been operat-
ed-two in Wilmington and one in Dover
with total Of 2.o57 Patients Treatments
and Prescriptions have been given at all
dispensaries subject 90 standard pro-
fessionsl etiquette rulings
Cooperative Centers--The commits
sion has frequently been asked 10 open
health centers in various places, but for
lack Of funds could not do 80 However,
IL worked out plan Of cooperation with
Smyrna, New Castle Midway, Hockes-
sin. Iorklyn, Harrington, Lewes, Nlllls-
born and Selbyvillc committees that has
resulted IN establishment or plans for
early opening Of centers The commits
sion furnishes nurse one day week
20 cooperative Centers. local committees
pay tor equipment and running expenses.
Results--Desirable results of the work
arr undeniablc The 1919 infant death
rate of Wilmington WAS ono third lower
than that Of 1918, and the state wide
infant death rate was reduced 25 per cent.
The deaths of children under two years Of
age have declined from an average of 3l5
for the summer months of lnl6-ls 10
less than 200 for the summer months of
each of the last two years, and the deaths
under fve wears fell from S4s 20 222 for
the same periods. As 1919 WAS the first
wear the child health center work was in
full swing these figures are signif cant,
State wide statistics for the summer Of
1920 show reduction OF forty per cent
in infant mortality as compared with
that of 1917 and cut of 50 per cent in
Sussex county figures,
Unanswersble Acknowledgment for
the idea OF intensive infant and early
child health work is gwen in the high
percentage Of preyentsble physical de-
fects discovered in examinations of Della
ware school children.
Other Activities-The commission has
conducted otner activities besides health
centers. 1t is the pioneer in physical in
spection . rural school children, having
furnished the first nurses in that field Of
work and the first general medical direc-
tor. 1t has dispensed thousands OF quarts
of high grade milk through its Whining
ton centers and worked hard to secure a
better grade of milk for general use. A
go-to-school campaign was conducted in
the fall that brought about continuation.
of schoolir & for a number of childre1
The commission arranged mout h
hygiene campaign that resulted in secur-.
ing the travelling dental unit now operat-
ing under the State Board of Education.
Studies were made TO discover conditions
affecting all classes of children Research
concerning law aud practice was def
mite. part of this work