Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26

infant and maternal mortality rate that
the average for the whole United State
birth registration area indicate that the
goal Is almost in sight,
Tentative figures for 1927. furnished
by the Bureau of Vital Statistics CT thu
indicate a marked decline during tht
past year. the total infant mortality
rate being est deaths per 1000 live
births. as compared with IS IN 1926.
Such a decline" commented thu
Children's Bureau of the Department OF
Labor. in specific report. lis mat.
ter for congratulation and reason fol
earnest effort to keep the loss of infant
lives at least as low in the future
Further Education Needed.
But further education is needed be.
| fore the District can cut down Its in.
FAINT and maternal death rate below
that of the general average for the
whole country. as official figures show
In 1926. the average for the United
States for the three-year period. 1924.
1926. was 7l9 deaths OF infants. while
| that for the District of Columbia was
ST. deaths
Figures bearing on the maternal
death rate are equally disparaging tc
the District. though steady progress Is
being reported In protecting the lives oil
mothers The average death rate in tn;
District for this same three-year period
was sc per thlu~and. as compared viii,
65 deaths for the whole United States
Further food for thought is contained
in the feet that the local maternal death
rate was higher than in Baltimore. Chi.
cago, Detroit, New York and Philacel-
phia, where comparative studies were
F., made by the Chlldren's Bureau
Some months ago the Washington
Council OF Social Agencies requested
/ the Children's Bureau to make a survey
Of the conditions relative to maternity
and infancy in the District. After con.
ferring with the District health officer
| and obtaining his approval and CO.
operation for such survey, the Chill
dren's Bureau began sud- TO deter
! mine, if possible. how far the problem
of maternity and infancy care is ade-
| ouately met and in what direction an
expansion of effort should be made to
meet the further need of safeguarding
the lives and health Of mothers and
young children.
Visits were made to each of the child
! hospitals in the District. workers were
| consulted and every possible step taken
10 get at the root of the high death
. rate prevailing here. The results OF
this survey are contained in an extern
sive report of the Children's Bureau
compiled by DR.. Dorothy Reed Menden-
hall.
| From 1915 to 1926, inclusive, the in
vestigation shows, there has been q
very depreciable decrease. particularly
in the infant mortality rate in the Dis
trict. among both white and colored in
fants under year of age. The figures
for 1927 show that the colored infant
death rate is more than double that
of the white. 1914. as compared with
ATS, which explains. perhaps. why
the total average for the District is
considerably higher than in those cities
where the ratio of colored population is
not so large. The comparison between
white and colored maternal deaths. over
a three-year period, is 7.3 per thousand
and l4.6.
| Baltimore Figures.
| A further comparison may be made
with Baltimore. which In respect u
| the proportion Of colored population
more closely resembles Washington than
any other city in the group studied
For the three-year period the average
white maternal death rate In the Dis
trict was IA points higher than that In
Baltimore. and the average colored rate
80 points higher than that In Balti-
more.
The greatest progress made in the
District In reducing these alarming
death rates was made last year In the
decline of the white infant mortality
rate In 1924. which was an exception
ally good health year all over the coun-
| try. the total infant death rate in, the
District was 76. with q white rate of 81
and a colored rate OF i0s. Last year
| the white rate was lowered to 81. but
the colored rate scared to 1913.
| The greatest number OF deaths In
| Washington occurred In the central
/ part OF the city. the report declares
! In precinct No. 2. which Is bounded b.
! Fourth and Fifteenth streets. X and
/ S streets. there were I43 lives lost In
| 1925. In precinct No. lin the south.
vest. which is bounded by the Mall
! South Capitol street. Washington
Cham y and the Anacostia River. there
we're .llS lives lost. In precinct No.
lin the southeast. which Is bounded
by East Capitol street, North Capitol
street and the Anacostia River. there
were lis deaths In precinct No. II
!
| few deaths.
The largest number OF live births oc.
Cured in the following precincts: No
| 8. $50 live births: No TO- 1913 births
No. s. s52; No. 2. BAG. and In No. 8
753 births. The largest number oil
/ white live births occurred In precincts
! 8. with 743, TO- with 725. and S. with
| G28 The largest number OF colorec
| births were I'm precinct No. 2. with 492
and No. Q. with Az
| 1T Ia evident" said the report. that
! IL provision for parental and infant
| care Is 10 be made on a basis OF births
| these precincts are the ones In which
such work should be emphasized. NJ
provision for public parental or child
hygiene clinics has been made for th'
second precinct. Both parental ant
T, child hygiene clinics are being ION
Quoted In the fifth and eighth precincts
and a chiid-hygiene center has been II
existence for years IN the ninth pre-
| ciuct. More recently child-hyglen'
| center was established In the tenti
precinct"
Precincts Nos. 2. and 9 com
prise three OF the four that had tota
infant mortality rates OF more that
100 Tor the year 1925. the report con
iin,ies. The facilities for prenatal ant
child-hygiene instruction apparent,
are not sufficient 10 cope with the neet
| in these neighborhoods.
Visiting Nurse Society.
Under a chapter devoted 10 VIVA
! Washington Is Doing for Mothers am
BABIES" the Chiidrens Bureau fepof
deyotes considerable space 10 the worth'
accomplishments Of the INSTRUCTIVE
Visiting Nurse Society. by request th'
society started a prenatal clinic -
Columbia Hospital In 1920 and dufiiit
tie next five years built up q large an
active prenatal service In connection
with the otJstetricai work of this hos
pltai.
During 1924 the Visiting Nurse 30
| cie.y started similar clinic fD
Georgetown University Hospital. At TIN
present time the society, al the requFs