The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-05

long hose connecting with the baby's
 mouth.
 Now it isn't only the foreign
 mother who needs instruction in the
 care of her baby. A nurse was called
 in from the street -one day to see a
 puny little 7-months-o1d baby weigh
 ing only seven pounds. Her little
 mother said she had been to every
 kind Of doctor, but nobody could
 help her, and she'd just have to out
 grow it. so the nurse took mother
 and baby to one of our best special
 sts, who said, You can't do anything
 with that baby because the mother
 just won't do as she is told The
 nurse went daily to little Eloise and
 prepared the formula as prescribed,
 bathed and cared for her. She found
 it was not unwillingness on the part
 of the little mother. but plain igno-s
 rane. and now Eloise would take
 prize at any baby show.
 County Work
 "Th bureau of child hygiene and public health nursing in the county was begun in the fall of 1920, when Miss Zoe La Forge came from the federal childrens bureau and began 1 its organization. Certain demons-ra- l ton areas have been established in SC ctions of the county. In co-opera- | tion with the county board of educa- tion school children hsve been
 weighed and measured. The children
 have received a physical examination | and many defects have been correct l ed. Hookworm surveys have been | carried on in some of the schools and ] treatment instituted with those in- | fected whose parents so desire. Work among the crippled children l is the happiest sort os thing. Little Jane only last week walked for the | first time in her life. To be sure l she is only 6. but long ago she had | infantile paralysis which affected both legs. All the earnings of the
 home had been spent il an effort to help, but to no avail. One day the nurse found her and persuaded the ] mother to try again. This is ont of the happiest families fin all Jefferson county, because Janu can walk, and Is gaining strength daily in her puny little legs.
 Health Habits
 .sGroup teaching of health habits to children in both white and coll ored schools has been found effectual
 in increasing the weight and general health of the children, and the chill dren, from the babies to the biggest, love 1t. little beginner called out as he stood on the scales for the first time in school. I like this It doesn't hurt, does it?' And high. school girls l flock around the nurse with the
 scales and the score cards asking all about how to get fat and what to do to get th7r.
 "One section of the county is re- ceiving visiting nursing service for both white and colored. Mothers are under the care of the nurse long be- l fore the baby is born, while both mothers and babies receive nursing care for about 10 days after babies are born. The babies remain under close supervision through the first
 month, the period of greatest danger to baby life. The nurse occasionally finds that no preparation has been made for the newcomer. and calls upon the loan closet, which is main tained for just such emergencies by the American Red Cross. Again she finds that neighbors have been moi c kind than wise in giving poor ad- vice and strong medicines to babies. ana on several occasions has arrived
 in time to revive an infant in std,e of collapse from an overdose of dope.
 "The nurses days are full of serv- ices like these described. They and the 'flivver are recognized on the road and are frequently hailed by neighbors for word of advice or a | friendly service which Is reflected in improved health and happiness of the citizens in many little communities of the county"