The Republican., 1925-12-03
State AID CUTS
Infant Deaths
Examination of 100000
Children Proves Worth Of
Federal Cooperation.

WaShingtOn.-Fxa of near
ly 100000 infants and pre-schOol
children at 26,353 child-heaIth con
ferences during the fiscal years of 1924
and 1925 was reported to the chill
dren's bureau OF the United States De-
partment Of Labor by states COOP
Grating undeS the federal maternity
and infancy act, according to a state
ment made public here.
FOrty-three states and Hawaii are
cooperating under this act, which pro-
vides federal aid for the promotion
of the welfare of mothers and babies,
Vermont. Louisiana and Rhode Island
having accepted during the fiscal year
1928. States not cooperating are Ill
nois, Connecticut, Kansas, Maine and
Massachusetts. The children's bureau
made public an official report cover
ing the state accomplishments during
1924, with preliminary figures for 1925.
These figures show that, in add-
tiOn to the examination of babies and
young children, at the child-health
conferences, maternity and infancy ac-
tivities during 1924 and 1925 included
the holding of 9,669 prenatal confer
ences attended by approximately 75.-
COO women, classes for midwiyeS with
a total attendance of approximately
10000, the holding of mothers classes
with an attendance Of more than 1872
rprNtsy fi.,f, %
over 5000 ''little mothers" classes.
The number Of child-health centers
established was 1,7O6; the number Of
prenatal centers. 245.
Defects Discovered.
Although centerS are for "well ba-
bies," the report states, defects are
frequently found which require cor
rectiOn before the child is free to gain
maximum of physical fitness. De-
fects most frequently encountered are
refractive errors in the eyes, naso-
pharyngeal grOwths and abnormalities
orthOpedic defects, glandular enlarge
ments or insufliciencies, dental carries
malnutrition (always the large per-
centage in every group).
Children are always referred to fam
lily physicians for the correction OF
these defects. if there is a physician
Some states furnished estimates of de-
fects corrected during 1924, ranging
usually from % to 40 per cent.
Commenting on the report of work
INYo
chief of the childrcns bureau, said:
"The provisional figures for 1924 of
the vital statistics division of the bu-
reau OF the census Indicate a sub
stantial drop in the infant death rate
for both urban and rural communities
in the United States birth regstra-
ton area; but even with this improve
ment the infant death rate in the
United States is higher than in Aus
tralia, the Netherlands, Norway,
Sweden, and the Irish Free State, and
no state in the United States birth
registration area has so low rate as
New Zealand. 1t IS quite evident,
therefore, that the United States cam
not afford to slacken Its interest or
reduce in any way the intelligent ex-
penditure Of funds to lower the death
rate among babies.
Losses PreVentable.
ga report on maternal mortality,
which will be published soon by the
bureau, shows that very high per-
ne a..
ventable causes. 1t is, therefore, espe-
cially important that the program for
prevention Of the unnecessary deaths
in childbirth should be pushed. Here.
too, the United States lags behind
many countries. Demonstrations of
successful methods of conducting
prenatal clinics have been made In
many places under the maternity and
infancy act.
Last year the benefits of the mater
nifty and infancy act were extended to
Hawaii The high death rates In Porto
Rico and Alaska also make assistance
from the United States of special i'm
pOrtance.
"The United States government Is
eXpendng at the present time less
than $1,000,0O0 a year In subsidies to
the states for the promotion of
health program for mothers and ba-
bies. Great Britain is expending near
ly five times that amount in grants
In aid to local communities for ma
ternity and child health, enabling the
health visitors to reach an esti-
mated 50 per cent of the children
born in year in England and Wales
and 13 per cent Of the expectant moth
ers."