Evening star., 1927-05-08
WILL CONFER HERE
ON CHILD WELFARE
Experts Gather for Fourth
Annual Meeting of American
Health Association.

Religion, war and science - q
strangely related trio-~are held re
sponsible in large part for the gradual
growth of the child health movement
which will reach a high peak here
this week with the fourth annual
meeting of the American Child Health
Association.
From the early days when the
church first took steps to prevent
mothers from killing their own chill
dren, down through the years when
war awakened nations to the impor-
tance of the child, the movement has
come gradually, according to DR.. John
T'oote, professor of diseases of chill
dren at Georgetown University and
physician TO the Children's Hospital,
Nao will take part in the conferences
Ce the week. 1t remained for science,
h pointed out, TO carry the movement
with the cooperation of doctors,
nurses and social workers. TO it's pres
ent high state Of service to the ma
tions of the world.
The association will hold its ses-
sions at the Willard Hotel and at the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States, the sessions opening tomor-
row morning at the hotel and conclud-
ing Wednesday afternoon.
Church Acted First.
The early church, DR.. Foote eX-
planned. took the first recorded step
in child health. when at Ancyria the
synod voted communication to any
mother who killed her own child.
From this step to prevent infanticide
the church gradually expanded its
action to prevent parents under stress
of poverty from selling their children
into slavery. Various methods of re
lief were afforded by the early church,
even in some cases including outright
purchase of the child to prevent girls,
for instance, from being sold TO the
barbarians for harem life.
The first recorded orphan asylum
was established in the fourth century
at Milan, Italy, DR.. Foote explained,
where a cleric. DatheuS by name, es.
tablished an institution where chill
dren were gathered together and their
lives saved DatheuS laid down the
principle that the parents OF chit
Clren of shame should not Ito one
crime add one even greater" by kill
ing their offspring. His experiment did
not prove successful, however. due to
inability to control the spread of dis,
ease, and it was not until the eight
eenth century, according to DR..
2
success under St. Vincent de Paul,
who established the Sisters of Charity.
War Had Influence.
After the earliest movement of the
church In behalf of the child, which
has followed through the years in one
way or another, by the protection of
children, DR.. Foote pointed out that
the influence of war had been power
full in turning the attention of states
men to the subject.
The rearing of children never en-
gagged their attention, it was explain
ed, until after sonre great war the
economic phases compelled 1t. DIR.
Foote said the course of State interest
In child health through the last 300
wears can easily be traced by looking
at the calendar of wars d nation has
fought.
IT was Napoleon Bonaparte who
enuneiated the doctrine that the
''parentless child necessarily was "a
ward of the state and should be cared
for" he said.
Began III France,
The real beginning OF the child
health movement as it is known to-
day. DIR. Foote pointed out, was in
modern times, following the Franco
Prussian War. when French statis-
ticans saw the birthrate ncleasing in
Germany and decreasing IF France.
1t devolved upon several eminent
French physicians, including Budin,
Graucher and others to devise ways
and means % improving this situ-
alton. To this. ena the Societe Pro-
iectrice de L'Enfa nee was orga nized
in Paris in 1876 followed by the
Societe de L LAllaitement Maternal A
law also was passed TO help mothers
10 care for their own children, which
proved to be the. first state interest
in infants.
Carrying forward the movement.
Prof. Budin established a child con-
sultation center for mothers, and it
was not long afterward when a speak
er in the French Academy of Medi-
cine praised the work with the sur
prising words that Prof Budin has
saved a battalion from the slaughter
field Of infancy.
Milk Was Furnished
In the United States the first at
tempt was in New Haven, Conn,
Where milk was furnished TO needy
infants from dispensaries. This
spread to New York and through the
philanthropy of the late Nathan
Strauss and under the direction of
pr. Koplik much Improvement in
health was given to children through
milk
Developments came fasters in the
twentieth century with the formation
Of q League Against Infant Mortality
IN Paris and international conferences
OH the question
The first organization in the United
States was the Association for Pre-.
Nention Of Infant Mortality, which
later changed its name to the Ameri-
can Child Hygiene Assoeia ton, with
interest ceptered on the mother and
infant The Child Health Organiza-
ton also was developed, dealing with
the education OF the school child in
health habits, DIR. Emmett Holt was
prominent in this work.
Hoover Takes Hold.
In 1920 the organizing influence and
genius Of Herbert Hoover was brought
10 the aid Of the American child The
two organizations We're joined in the
American Child Health Association,
of which Secretary Hoover is now
president
The conference opening here tomor-
row will be addressed by experts in
all phases Of activity Interested in
the welfare of the child. The first ses-
sion will be tomorrow morning at 10
O'Clock, and the speakers will include
William Green, president of the Amer
jean Federation of Labor, and DR..
Samuel ]. Crumbine, general execu-
tive Of the association. There will be
sessions both afternoon and evening
tomorrow.