Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-05
MOTHER PRENATAL
CARE is ADVOCATED
May Mean Difference Be-
tween Life and Death,
Cases Reveal.
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

The feeble wall of a newborn infant
came to three small children huddled
outside the bed room door.
Listen" said 6-year-old Mary. TITS
baby!"
sick
A death-like silence soon followed the
babys cry, the hurrying Of feet and
whispering of voices which had been
discernible from mammals" bed room.
Several minutes later the doctor came
out of the room. He saw the group Of
children, half frightened, half excited,
look up at him with great, questioning
eyes. He paused. cleared his throat,
started to say something. and then re-
entered the room. He returned almost
Immediately with q blue-clad visiting
nurse, who, going to the oldest child,
took her by the hand kindly and said:
Better take your sisters outside to
play now. You will be happy to knew
you have a baby brother, but-well,
mammals pretty sick, and things must
be kept quiet. Your daddy will come to
see you in the yard later
Mother Taken.
AS the children moved from the door
Miss T, the nurse, shook her head
silently. She simply could not bring
herself to tell the children that
mamma" had been taken by the death
angel at the time that little brother
came into the world. Inside the bed
room a oespairing husband reproached
himself bitterly for not having had the
nurse and doctor sooner. Almost saw
agely he had accused the medical man
of having done something wrong" in
permitting" his wife to die. The doctor
explained as gently as he could to the
husband that the colsmpsia or "convul-
sions," which had caused his wife to die
while giving birth to her fourth baby
could have been avoided II medical
treatment had been given her through
out the weeks and months prior to her
babyS birth.
You should have had doctor at the
beginning, not at the very end" he ex-
planned.
Miss r busted herself with the
baby while the bereaved father sought
help from his neighbors. Kindly Mrs.
Kelly fastened back to the motherless
brood and promised to stay until rela-
tive arrived from the West.
Poor little Mrs. A." she said to
the nurse. Who'd thought that after
three easy times she'd died with her
fourth baby?"
Thousands Die From Carelessness.
That's the trouble" replied Miss
T. Women either get terribly ex-
cited and think dreadful things will
happen when they are going to have
babies. or they are careless and don't
even take sensible care of themselves. |
Thousands of women in our country die
every year just like Mrs. RI" she |
continued, because they don't have the
right care months before the baby is
born, not only at the time of the birth. !
wish the family had called me or con-
suited the doctor eight months ago. The |
complications which caused Mrs. R
to die" explained the nurse, could have |
been detected weeks ago"
Several months after Miss T had |
finished her visits to the R baby |
she was called on the telephone. 1t was |
Mrs. Kelly
I didn't know how should do this"
explained the Irishwoman. But I re- |
membered what you said about Mrs. |
R. There's a sweet young woman |
near me who's goin' to have her first |
baby. Not for some time" she ex-
planned, but I thought you'd better |
come and see her. She says she'll be |
glad for you to come
Visits Young Woman.
Miss T reported the case to In !
structive Visiting Nurse Society head
quarters. She was told to visit the pro-
spective mother. Miss T found her |
new patient healthy, intelligent young |
woman, happy over the thought Of the |
baby'S coming, but absolutely ignorant |
of matters essential to her health and |
that Of her little one. She lived in q
neighborhood which swarmed with chill !
dren AS Miss T was leaving her |
patients house one day a pretty little |
girl was playing on the walk. She ;
smiled at the nurse and Mrs. C.,
vino had come to the front door The |
childs smile displayed row Of black,
crumbling teeth.
You don't want your babys teeth
to be Ike that. do you?" said Miss
t. BE sure to eat the foods con-
tanned in that diet the doctor gave you, |
and your baby should have strong,
healthy teeth"
Under the care of the instructive Wis
1ting nurse time passed rapidly and !
happily for Mrs. G.. She suffered |
none of the nervous fears and the phys
ical discomforts often described by her
friends. Regular visits to her doctor
kept her cheerful with the knowledge
that she was in the best OF health.
1t was different scene in strong con-
trast to the death and sorrow attending