Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1923-04-27
SOME INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT CHILD WELFARE
Taken From the Records and Reported
By Miss Jeanette Eckman.

Since the work of child welfare
was taken in 1918, there has been an
appreciate improvement in the health
and care of children throughout the
State. Conditions were so bad at the
start that the progress made under
limited financial support has been
marvellous. Decrease in the death rate
and improvement in child health can
only continue if reasonable financial
support is given to the work.
Five hundred and seventeen chill
dren under two years of age died in
Delaware in 1922, or about one death
to every eleven births. Does the aver
age citizen realize that he is respon-
sible if the government he supports
cannot do better than this by it's chill
dren? A great deal is said about
safeguarding" the Constitution. More
should be said about living up to the
Constitution. The very foundation of
the United States Constitution is the
assumption that the national and
state governments will insure the
right to life of all its people. The state
is not insuring the right of the child
to life when hundreds of preventable
deaths are allowed to occur every
year The responsibility of the state
for safeguarding the lives of the chill
dren born here is certainly equal to
the responsibility for public education.
And the right to life comes first.
Child Welfare is a right and duty,
not a charity. The child health CEN
tiers should be as free from any tinge
of personal charity as the public
schools. Child Welfare does not con-
fiict with the medical profession. 1t
helps to increase the service of that
profession; and if any individual doc
tor so far shames the splendid spirit
of the majority of his profession as to
resent having children kept well by
preventive measures, on the ground
that it spoils his trade, even he is not
likely to suffer the loss he deserves,
because the Child Welfare nurses per-
suade hundreds of parents to take
their children to the family physician
for the treatment of ailments that or
dinarily would be neglected to the in
jury of the child.
Child Welfare is not a city problem
only. The death rate among children
in tenement districts of New York is
much lower than the death rate among
children in rural Delaware. This is
not a wild statement. 1t is a matter OF
records that can not be disproved by
Doubt or denial. Another spectacular
truth is the following: 293 Delaware
men lost their lives in the World War.
1655 Delaware babies under two years
of age died in 1918 and 1918 alone
This is also a matter of actual death
certificates. The hazards of birth IN
delaware were more than seven times
the hazards of war.
tt will be seen that the number OF
deaths under two years, 5l7 for the
whole State is much smaller than tne |
average for the two years just quoCeu'
.ut the death rate in proportion TO
tbe incubation and the number OF
births is still high, and is higher in
Kent and Sussex counties than in New
Castle county, including Wilmington,
though Wilmington's rate is so high
that the city has a very unhealthy
standing compared with good health
cities. For children under two years
he rates for 1922 are about one death
h eleven births for Wilmington, one
death to every nine births in sussex
and one death to every eight births in
Kent.
The protection of child life IS the
obligation of the state.
# is above any political allegiance OF
PARTISAN advantage and the provisions
If tbe state for this purpose should
70 made in this light, purely and hon
o s IN the merits of the work. 1t is
1ificult to believe, with the tacts
1nown, that the final consideration Oh or
he child welfare appropriation Will be
made in any other way. Where money money
saved iatv means lives of children need
' essly sacrificed there could not De a
Tne Delawarean who could look wiz: IN
abstraction upon such balance III
he State Treasury. ]