Evening star., 1923-06-24
ACT VALUE
PROVED In FIRST YEAR
Opposition Dwindles as Merits of Meas.
ure in Saving Mothers and Infants Is
Manifest Throughout Country.

ing will have been made an to in
sure the continuance of the federal
aid to the mothers of the country.
In fact, 1t Is a fair supposition at
present that thousands of lives of
mothers and babies have been saved
through the Information and instruc-
tion accorded the mothers through
the operation of the act.
Want Better Records.
One yardstick by which it will be
possible to measure the effect of the
work done under the maternity act
will be found in the vital statistics
showing births and deaths-kept by
many Of the states. There is a drive
now on to extend the vital statistics
area so as to include all the states.
The latest available figures for ma
ternity mortality I'm the United States
and foreign countries show that the
United States is far ahead of some
of these countries in the number of
deaths of mothers at childbirth. For
example, the number of deaths of
mothers from puerperal causes per
1000 live births in the registra ton
area In the United States is SIS. and
most are preventable. In Denmark,
on the other hand. the number of
such deaths per 1000 live births is
only "a: the Netherlands, "a; Swe-
den, rs; Italy, 3: Norway. 3; Japan.
38; England and Wales, SO; Ger
many, 40: Spain, So. In the list only
two - Belgium and Chile = have a
higher number of such deaths than
the United States.
Literally thousands of letters ask
ing advice in regard to the care of
their babies and young children are
being received by the maternity di
vision of the childrens bureau of the
Department of Labor. which has
charge of administering the mater
nifty act. These letters are all an
swered. Some are given the specific
information asked for and others are
recommended to apply to the state
administration, which exists in every
state that has accepted the maternity
act. Carefully prepared booklets.
containing information regarding in
fant hygiene, the prenatal care of
mothers, ETC.. have been prepared and
distributed by the hundreds of thou
sands and even the millions by the
| Ichildren's bureau.
Federal Board Created.
| A federal board of maternity and
infant hygiene has been created, com
posed Of the chief of the children s
bureau, the surgeon general of the
public health service and the United
States commissioner of education.
Each state draws up it's bwn plans
of operation under the maternity act
and submits them to the board for
approval. But the act provides that
these plans must be approved by the
board If reasonably appropriate and
adequate to carry out it's purposes"
The administration in the states is
Through the child welfare division of
the state agency of health, or where
such a division does not exist,
through an agency designated by the
state. The federal government. there
fore, is not debating, but merely ad-
vising and aiding in carrying on the
work as laid down by the states
themselves.
Congress authorized an appropria-
tion of s1,240,o00 for five-year pc
riod, to be divided among the states
as follows: Five thousand dollars un-
matched to each state and an addi-
tional 5000 to each state IL matched.
and the balance to be allotted among
the states on the basis of population
and granted If matched with state
funds.
The states have taken hold with
so much vigor. aided by the federal
government agency, that the effect of
the maternity asst has been far-reach
ing. Admittedly, the purpose is to aid
the mothers who most need aid, and
they are found in the rural sections
of the country, sections where the
motion picture has never been seen
for instance. Here and there the mo-
tion picture has been adopted as a
! means of teaching the mothers.
Efforts have been made in SOME
quarters to hook up the suggested
birth control" with the operation
of the maternity act But assurances
are given by the federal authorities
that there is not the slightest basis
for SO doing.