The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1922-05-04
VITAL STATISTIC REPORT
FOR HAAkON COUNTY

The Vital Statistics of South Da
kota record the death of 1928 chill
dren under the age of five year.
in the state during the year 1921
This number is considerably great
er than the total population of one
OF our average size towns. Ii
several instances two, and in some
cases three little ones have beer
taken from one homo. Seventy 81,
mothers have died during the yeal
from causes directly due to ma
ternity.
In Haakon county there were
thirteen deaths reported Of child
rem under five years Of age in 1921
Some steps should be taken &c
lessen this loss Of life. There is
no one special need of any com
munity, county or state which is
so vital as is this one of maternity
and infant protection.
1t IS safe to say that many, per
haps the majority of the infant
deaths, not only in our own state
but in other states, could have
been prevented, if, prior to the
babys coming, each mother had
had advice and assistance, and had
known just how to protect her own
health; just what preparations to
make for the coming of the baby;
and how to take care Of her baby
during the first few days, weeks,
months and years Of its life.
The first need of a county or a
community in its effort to prevent
infant mortality is the employment
|of competent public nurse, whose
duty it would be to visit mothers
in their homes, giving helpful in
formation and instructing and in
showing thel.l how to care for
themselves and their children; to
help the physician conduct a
health center for mothers and in
fants where mothers could take
their children to be examined and
be advised in the proper methods
of feeding, clothing and caring for
them. In cases of epidemics she
would help in the homes and give
instructions in methods of pre-
venting the spread of infectious
diseases. Following the physical ex-
animation of school children, she
would help parents to procure the
correction of defects discovered.
A number of counties are ALREADY
maintaining full time public nur-
ses whose services have proven so
valuable in promoting the general
health of the community that they
would not now be voluntarily dis
pensed with.
The funds of the State Board OF
Health are not sufficient to per-
NIT much assistance in public
health programs of the various
counties. The Sheppard Towner act
passed recently by Congress, and
to which many counties are now
looking for a substantial sum to
aid in their public health work, al
lots so small an amount to our
state, that there cannot possibly
be financial aid given to individual
counties. 1t makes provision for
the following sums:
For the fiscal year ending
June 30, $4,000 to be Civ
en- outright. An additional sum
of $1436. .07 if the latter sum
can be met by similar am
cunt from the State, making
a total of $7872 IA.
For the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1923, $4,000 to be
given outright. $9293 II to be
given in addition, providing the
State will appropriate a SINH
lar sum, making a total of
S23,5S6 %.
If, however, the State does not
.latch the provisional appropriation
of $9,293. II with an equal sum.
that amount will be forfeited and
there will be only $3.50 available
for the entire State for the year
beginning July l, 1922. Hence, the
first thing necessary to make the
Sheppard-Towner Act of any real
value to US is to secure through
the next Legislature an appropria-
tion Of 1928. II to match the pro-
visional federal appropriation. With
S23, ,586. .22, which that would give,
enough could be accomplished to
demonstrate the value and benefit,
of the work, SO as to justify fur-
ure legislatures in making appro-
priations for its continuation and
extension.
The Division of Child Hygiene.
created by the last legislature, for
the purpose Of carrying out the
provisions of the Sheppard-Towner
Act, will necessarily be limited in
its work, to giving assistance in