Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-07
CAPITAL BEHIND
IN CHILD HEALTH
Means of Reducing Infant
Death Rate inadequate.
Education Is Needed.

GuAVoktOIl ~ NES~SS
Note: This is the fourth Of n series
Of articles on the infant mortdHp
rate IN the District ot Co1mm bin. The
nth riN appear tomorrow.
Facilities era ed the District OF CO.
lumbia 10 reduce infant mortality ana
improve the health standards OF chill
dren are not only far from adequate
but are below the standards MAINTAIN
ed by larger cities which nave
bigger problem by virtue or greater
area and population.
Rallying under the slogan ADOPTED
by child health experts throughout
the Nation that Child health can ne
purcha seA with dollars and cents
Washington's welfare EXAMINATIONS
are endea vorine to buy reduction IN
the high infant mortality rate mere
(S7.3 per thousa nd births III 1870, the
latest statistical period), as New YORK.
Chicas 60. Philadelphia. Cleveland, De
troit, ST. Louis. Los Angeles, ga
Fra ncisco and Seattle have done ana
are continuing to do.
These and other communities Wnich
have rega rded the health ana NE OF
their new citizens as resting almost
whollv on the word "eduCation' have
provided for the proper dissemination
of information regarding care or a
baby before and after birth among
mothers who are or are not IN posi-
ton to obtain it voluntarily.
With nine child hygiene stations
augmented by two privately supported
certers and private orEanizs'ioh n,
work in Washington. the held II n"'
and cannot he covered as It shonId ne'
In the opinion Of the District heai'h
office and welfare workers.
Stations Need Larger STAINS.
Tho nine stations appropriated for
hv congress. Il liz freely CONCEDED not
onlv have justified their e%tabiisn.
msnt hut have repea teddy emphasized
the need for larger STATS with longer
working hours. az well as more chnlce,
The existing clinics ere located az
Georgetown Hospital. $3.50 4 street
, 4sn F. street southwest, 900 MarNiano
evapue northeast. 1901 Talbert street
southeast. F'reedn1en's Hospital. o'Z .
Georgia avenue. 925 TwentN-secoi'u
street and 1905 Pennsylvania aNenue
southeast. Two Of these-the 'feoI y"
avenue and TalbeIt street sta.ioIs
were opened since July ! Oh i"s -, ~, =.
to meet the needs OF those coh'ihu
mites. . ,,.h,ob
In addition to the foregoing, wnlcn
70 ra under. the direct supervision OF w ~
| District Health Department. tne' &c
n child hygiene clinic at Chl'dren
tIosnital and a pre-nata chhlc q. "
iumba Hospital These are open ~
The ruhlic on a free status ano hie
maintained by public contIiou'iot'hta e
The final means of assistink .nu
mo; her unable to consult phS s ~. !. !.
either before or after her oI'r ,.;.,.
horn ia through the Instructive Nslt
, ,ol !" $50 ' society. This orga nizatior
raS,onds TO calls from persons VII
can afford the full-pay service. WI.
40 mot meet the full cost but can pc
-, ma IT for the care they receive or.
for those who are unable 10 pay az
all.
Nine Physicians Available.
only nine physicians. each si>i ~.
time service. can be PROVIDED Icl
nc district Health Department
bvsiene stations under present
| thority and appropria lions. Anu ne
uhysicians are able TO give ~.
hours a week each to the Iio. s "a
| and expectant mothers III
advice and assistance. -. 20
There are hut nine nurses one ~
sacb station. who In addition to tne,l
duties at clinic hours. are respohsiu.e
60 oil nersons in need in their ois
tr;cts Each nurse also receives '"o
street car tokens a day for transpor
tation. ua,arallx
sneaking. are from 10 a m. to ~ noon
one dav for white, and the Same
hour period on another week "as Ioi
coIored. The remainder OF the tiihe
is spent by the nurses In entering the
homes. instructing prospective motners
a. to their own care, ann clu'Ill. =.
ing az far as possible. the manner
a. which fine newborn child Ia looked
after. .,.,
no these clinics, mothers also
hiring their new babies at regular IN
rervals for Weighing and inspection
The modern mother does not ana
sho,,ld not wait for the baby to show
s,ens of illness before medical assist
srca &c sought. Standards have
reac hed such A degree OF perfection
that within a reasonable figure, the
new baby's weight and health condi
ton can be forecast from month 10
month.
Clinics Too Busy.
In addition only one of the infan nj
thveiene stations maintained Dy the
nistrict Government Ia equipped for
prenatal work. and that Is located at
treatments Hospital, for colored only.
While other clinics include prenatal
worry in their programs, yet their du'
ties make 1t impossible for them to de
vote as much time to this important
question as should he.
The clinic at Children's Hospital,
! however, Ia much better Off from the
sta ndpoint Of a staff. Seven physl
clans one supervisor and two fol
1ow.np'' workers comprise It. In ad-
dition to these, the clinic at Will may
call upon volunteers from the Ju'
nior League and the Red Cross Health
League for work in the homes Incl
dent to the care OF the child. Pre-
natal advice, information and atten-
ton also are available here, but to
white and coiored
At Columbia Hospital the only pre-
natal clinic in Washington is con
Quoted. This clinic has a STAFF OF IL
doctors on the visiting list. two physi-
clans on the house staff" and one
nurse for "follow-up" work. Both
white and colored women and chill
dren are received here. Incidentally
the annual report of DR.. w. p. Nor
rin, superintendent of the hospital,
was made public today and 1t shows.
for the fiscal year ending June 80.
1925, a reduction in the infant NOR
tality rate OF 20 for births at the
hospital under the classification OF
charity" The total rate in 1928 was
as f372 for white and Asa for col
ored, A. nd for 1925 1t was 2.59 (2.67 for
20
Should Have IS Nurses.
The American Public Health Asso-
c;ation's standard for nurses in in