Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-31
Parental Care

Care of the child should begin at
the first possible moment; that is,
nearly nine months before his birth.
Care before birth, for want of z be-
Ter name, is called prenatal care of
the mother. Every woman who thinks
that she is pregnant should put her
self at once under the care Of COM
petent physician so that he may make
!. the necessary examinations as early
as possible r. she follows his advice
vice in regard to hygiene and the
proper regulation Of her life, size
f1ay 10 free from anxiety and may
Justly expect that her delivery will
be a safe and normal process.
4 demonstration Of tho value Of
Lrcnatal care was made several years
ago by the Boston District Nursing
Association. During the year prcna-
tai care was given to 75l expected
.ruthcrG in five wards Of the city.
Each 'gol:ian attended q pregnancy
clinic where she was under the care OF
an experienced obGtctrician and was
visited at intervals by 4 nurse who
Kept careful watch On her general
condition and gave necessary advice
aud encouragement. In consequence,
the death rate among the babies
chose mother had peranLal care was
only half as great, through the whole
FIRST year Of life, Is the death rates
Of babie.; in the same wards whose
!NOthcrs he'd not had parental care.
Moreover. the rate of still-births was
"niv half rs great as The rate among
The general population Of Boston. #
parental caro- can save so many lives
surely it ought to he available for
every pregnant woman IN the ond,
includin" even that generally neglect
I'd class of people who are neither
very rich nor very poor.
Each baby's birth should be rem
aered ny the registrar Of births, and
parents should make sure that regis
tration has been attended to in the
city or town where they live. In some
states birth registration is already
obligatory, but in any case it is re-
uuired by the child's own interest.
For instance, in later life it may be
necessary for him to prove the date
and place Of his birth and this may
not be possible if it has not been reg
istered.
The e~pectant mother should follow
tLnsn siynDle rules Of health: She
should eat meat. fish or eggs only
once a day and drink from six to ten
glasrc- of water every "a hours. She
shculd cat freely Of fruits and green
verctahec. and If three regular meals
causes distress, she should eat more
frequently and less at time. She
should spend at least two hours a
dav in tho nDen air and as much
more nc possible, hut while she should
walk and take light exercise she
should take car" not 10 override Il
ND ,:c~,' hc~sn!F out. She should
i7th2 da,|v IN warm water, wear
'>o;o onn-niece Garments hun" from
he shoulder and slice" at least eight
ha,"s ont nf thn "a taking car" never
T. l,ocnrin ovc~-tired. She should new
~ J., anv hepvv work such rs Swean-
inc. Washing. lirtir@ heavy burdens o.
viNninc sewing machine. # nossl-
,,'o .,io should post = month both be-
90 ~ afior ti,n hoh!'; birth. md
she should stay in bed ri least ten
,'av- "flo" his arrival. In addition,
~ S'.-,li report at regular inter
walls to her physician and should fol-
,~u- his irstructionS carefully. Tbs
* Aho orIv v:nv ~ assume health for
bo.l, ,,-a+bn,. and hnbv