Evening star., 1928-05-03
RADIO TALK ON CHILD HEALTH
DELIVERED FROM STATION WRC.

them will come the lower mortality rate,
, both for young and old. For this rea-
son 1t is going to be necessary to pay
special attention TO clinical work for the
colored race.
Other comparisons have been made.
The infant mortality rate of the Dis
trict was compared with that of a
number of cities that had a similar
colored population. An average of the
infant mortality rate over the period
l924-l926 showed that all these cities
except Baltimore had a lower rate than
Washington. Presumably there are
several causes for this difference, such
as poverty, lack of health supervision,
etc
Since the welfare of the infant is
closely dependent on the welfare of
the mother. survey was made of condi-
tionS relating to maternity. And here
again it was aScertained that the rate
of maternal mortality is higher in the
District than elsewhere in the birth
registration area. 1t was also found
that the high colored rate of mortality
among mothers is largely responsible
for this condition.
Look to Prevention.
What We are all anxious to know, of
course, Is how We can improve the Sit
uation in Washington. AN ounce OF
prevention is worth a pound of cure" y"
We have learned that an immense
amount of disease Is due to just plain
lack of foresight. People who might
by means of little forethough be we'll
are for lack of that forethought sickly.
But if people are uninformed of the
laws of health they cannot be ex-
pected to manifest forethought.
The S{fnafiNY1 in WASHINGTON rNIild Hp
improved by providing sufficient child
health and prenatal centerS and an
extension of home visiting by nurses
connected with the centerS. There
should be improvement and expansion
of the obStetrical services of the various
hospitals. together with the establish
ment of an out-patient delivery service,
Since the colored population contributes
to such a large extent for the high in
fant and maternal mortality rates In
Washington. a study should be made to
ascertain how these rates can be re-
duced.
In addition to information relating
to the physical care of the child. there
should be instruction in habit formation
given to the mothers of infants and of
children not yet in school. For this
purpose a psychiatriSt experienced in
problems connected with the young
child should be employed.
Already We see results from the study
of the Children's Bureau. The Mu-
nicipal Board of Health is planning to
establish unconditional child hygiene
centers, and the Council Of Social
Agencies has appointed three subcom-
mitteeS TO study the medical. prenatal
and child hygiene needs of the city.
paSt "a Rav,ova rauxA
/ think that you will all agree that
this is important work. that 1t Is work
which must be done. One does not need
to go back very far to come to time
when the wisest and most learned men
and women knew but little about dis
case and how TO keep we'll It is only
q generation or so ago that We learned
that most diseases are caused by
germ of one sort or another, and the
doctors were almost as slow to realize
this fact as the rest of us.
Several Of the worst diseases can be
exterminated entirely. II people win only
labor to get rid of mosquitoes. 1eaS and
rats. Typhoid. which used to take
heavy toll of the population. is becom-
ing quite rare since people took the
trouble 10 provide themselves with a
pure water supply. Malaria disappears
as soon as the mosquitoes are exterm-
mated
It ought not to be necessary to plead
for the welfare Of children There is
nothing more important than child.
Care properly for the child and the
child grown to maturity will take care
of the world The world is saved"
as the Talmud says. by the breath