Evening star., 1924-05-04
MOTHER MORTALITY
HIGH In WASHINGTON
Chances to Escape Death From
Childbirth Better in Eighteen
States and Other Countries.
IMPROVEMENT OVER 1921
Rednction Also Made in infant
Morality Rate Eere.

Progress in reducing maternal and
infant mortality rates ir the District
was Indicated in census figures pre-
sented by Miss Grace Abbott. chief
OF the Uafted States children's bureau,
at the May day, health conference,
held under the auspices of the Amer
lcan child Health Association here
last week.
census figures for 1922 showed that
The District had a maternal mortality
rate of III, Miss Abbott reported
Thls means that for every thousand
oaoIes born aIive in the District dur
ing that year, seven mothers died
from causes connected with child
blrth. Although a decided reduction
from 1921, this rate was still higher
than those for eighteen states, and
nlsner than the rate for the whole
CHlteu states during that year, which
was 6.6. The preceding year, 1921
the DLTtrict rate was the highest in
the United States registration area.
Better in Other Countries.
Comparing American rates with those
Tor twenty-one foreign countries the
children's bureau found that moth
childbirth were better in every coun-
try. including ItaIv. Japan. South
Africa. Spain and Hungary, than in
Washington, ID. c.
The infant mortality rate in the
District is also high. Miss Abbott
pointed out. In 1922. eighty-five out
Of every 1000 babies born alive in
the District died before reaching
ther first birthday: In only five
Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania. and
South Carolina. One state tied with
the District-Rhode Island.
MISS Abbott also presented figures
Tor the District over a period of
wears, showing that while the infant
death rate had considerably decreased
from 1915 to 1921, the maternal death
rate had remained stationary.
She also analyZed the white and
colored rates, bringing out the fact
that in the case OF both mothers
and babies the colored rates were
decidedly higher than those for white
mothers and abies.
The Districts greatest advance so
rar has been in the lowering of the
death rate among white babies. In
1S2l this rate was SiXty-eight.
Child Welfare Centers.
Much of the progress that had been
made during recent years in pro-
noting the health of the children of
Washington, Miss Abbott said, has
been due to the development of in
fant and child welfare centers A
concrete example of their construc-
tive work was seen in figures Sc
cured by the children'S bureau in a
recent investigation carried on in
connection with a study of ricketts,
among Washington children who had
been somewhat closely supervised
from the infant welfare centers
These children were receiving on
the whole a fairly adequate diet,
much more adequate than the diets
discovered among an average s,roup of
children studied by the bureau in
Gary. Ind. The value of the careful
supervision these children received
especially in relation to food, is indi-
Gated by the fact that between the
ages of two and four only per cent
of the Washington group had dental
carries, while 32 per cent of the
Gary children of the same age group
had cavities in their teeth.
Much work remains to be done,
MISS Abbott added, before citizens of
the District may feel sure that every
child here has real chance at health
and normal physical development