The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-03-09
State Legislation For
Maternity Protection

1. Instruction to the expectant
mother.
2. Information with regard t. I'm
FAINT Hygiene.
5. Guidance in the care of the in
FAINT.
A. Consultation for prenatal and
other advices.
The work will be carried on through
cooperation between the Federal Gov
ornament and the State.
For several years, the American As
~sociation for Labor Legislation has
urged maternity benefits; at the same
time the Children's Bureau had been
conducting Investigations into Infant
and Maternal mortality and had re-
peatedly shown the great need for
some form of maternity care. A guar
ter of a million of American-born ba-
bies die every year before they are one
year old. There are 100, 900 still Thorn
babies each year; 5000 mothers die
every year from causes due to child
birth, and physicians declare that a
large part of this frightful loss is
entirely unnecessary.
The prevention of this waste of hui
man life is the most important Public
Health problem before the country to-
day. With the passage of the Federal
bill fro The Public Protection of Ma
ternity and Infancy by the u. S. SEN
ate, we have our first acknowledge
ment by the Federal Government of its
responsibility in this field. The Shep-
pard-Towner Act as it was signed by
the President simply provides for
money to be given TO the States for
the purpose of cooperating with them
in promoting the welfare and hygiene
of maternity and INFANCY. No COM
pulsory methods are laid down, the
plans for each state are to be made
by the State agency in charge of the
work-the Child Hygiene division of
the State Department of Health.
These plans must be approved by
the Federal Board of Maternity and
Infant Hygiene. the Chief of the Chill
dren's Bureau, the Surgeon General
of the Public Health Service, and the
Commissioners of Education before the
money from the Federal Treasury is
certified to the State.
The Federal contribution must also
be matched by the State on a fifty
fifty plan before the money is certified,
except for the sum of SIC, 900 for the
present fiscal year and IS 5000 for each
of the next five years which is to be
given gratuitously to each state.
There is no special tax levy for this
work any more than there is for an
individual road Or postage stamp or
submarine.
The cry of unconstitutionality is
raised about all new types of legis-
~lation, but this Is moi even a new type.
The Good Roads Act, the Act creating
the interdepartmental Social Hygiene
Board, the Smith-Hughes Act for vo-
cational education and the Smith-Ley-
er Act for Agricultural extension arc
all based on the same "ifty-fifty" plan
OF cooperation between the Federal
Government and the States; most OF
them are for educational purposes. as
this is.
This State work is not directed from
Washington, but by the State Health
agencies themselves; the visiting nur-
ses employed will work for State or
County of local authorities; and not
for the children's Bureau.
Why We Need the Sheppard. Towner
Act
To help prevent the Maternal NOR
tality rate in the United States, which
Is more than twice as high as the rate
for England and Wales.
Mary A. Curley,
County P. Fl. Nurse.