The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-12

A frail little baby in Topeka has
been having a hard fight for its life,
after having had pneumonia and two
relapses of the disease. The baby's
fight would be harder without the help
of the city's public health nurses. One
of the blue dressed nurses with the
'P. H. N" armband discovered the
sick baby, provided expert care and
now it is almost certain that the baby
will recover It is now making regu-
lar calls with its mother at the baby
clinics at the city hall every afternoon.
One Baby Weighs Only Six Pounds.
A seven-months-old baby the nurses
have discovered weighs only six
pounds one pound more than when it
was born. That baby was brought to
the baby clinic Thursday afternoon CT
this week and the 'P. H. MS are
going to see if something can be done
to help the baby gain more than one
pound in seven months.
Just because a baby is pink checked
and fat and looks well, does not mean
that he should not have careful watch
ing" Miss Margaret Kitchener, special
baby nurse of the public health nurs-
ing staff, said at the free clinic for
babies on Thursday at the city hall.
Three out of nine babies are in need
Of attention, welfare experts have estI-
mated. Either they are not fed right
ly, or they are undernourished or are
troubles are not serious, perhaps, but
they should be checked in infancy
the earlier the better" -
Urge Mothers to Watch Babies.
"But mothers shouldn't wait until
their ba bies are sick to bring them to
the clinic" Miss Kitchener said. This
is for well babies, as well as for babies
who need attention"
The regular Thursday afternoon
baby clinic is free. but it is not
charity affair. Mothers who can af-
ford to have a doctor care for the
baby privately are welcome at the
free clinic, and many such mothers
take advantage of the publicly pro-
vided opportunity.
The importance of safeguarding
the baby's health is emphasized by
the Topeka infant mortality report
prepared by DIR. Earle G. Brown, city
health officer. In 1920 there were
101 babies under one year of age who
died. Twenty-Five of these babies
were from six months to one year of
age, dying at a time when their lease
on life should be assured. Whooping
cough caused eight of the deaths,
influenza five, pneumonia fifteen, ty-
phoid fever one, and erySIpelaS one
Diarrhoea and relative diseases caused
fourteen of the babies deaths. All of
the aforementioned diseases were pre-
ventable- The remaining thirty-f1ve
deaths were from causes that might
have been corrected in early infancy.
Miss Alexander Is Supervisor.
Miss Mary Alexander, supervisor of
the Public Health Nursing association,
has general direction of the free clinic
work. Miss Kitchener is nurse in
charge at baby clinics.
The benefit of the advice of a child
specialist, DIR. Paul E. Belknapp, is
provided at the clinics. The babies
are carefully weighed and measured
and thoroly examined by the doctor.
He refers the mothers to their family
physicians if special treatment is adj
visable for the baby.
Young mothers who have been PEI
picked over baby problems are en-
thusiast;c over the free baby clinic.
After registering Their babies they
bring them regularly to clinic to see
that they grow normally. Mothers
who need prenatal advice are also
welcome to the clinic, with the
privilege of the doctors advice. the
nurses help in planning the, baby's
layette and access to any authoritative
literature the clinic can supply.
But attention for babies does not