The Coolidge examiner., 1935-09-13


that. taken as whole. infancy is
very hazardous period OF life.
II Is quite a change for the infant
To experience when II leaves the
uterus or womb aud attempts 10
adjust itself TO the outside world.
Il has lived for nine months In an
incubator. Now. suddenly. It must
develop It's own heat-regulating
system. II must develop the abll-
lty Of breathing and OF dlgesting
foods. II must extract gases from
the lungs the same as adults.
Almost half OF the babies that died
in Illinois during 1880 died within
the FIRST few days of life The deaths
up TO one year of life totalled 7,IS3;
the deaths within the first few days
numbered 3,342. These infants were
not able to adjust themselves to the
outside world.
The next greatest causes Of death
were pneumonia and diarrhea. One
thousand slxty-one babies died Of
pneumonia TG5 died OF dlarrhea.
Most Of the pneumonIas In this
group are not OF the Infections type
Of this disease. The pneumonia rep
resents rather Inflammation Of the
lungs due 10 lowered resistance and
general debilltation OF the infant.
n the child does not adjust Itself
properly, Is not nourlshed properly.
or for any other reason fails TO
adapt Itself 10 the outside world.
pneumonia I'm many instances Is
only terminal or end condition.
Diarrhea belongs 10 the same group.
Deaths from diarrhea In infancy are
usually the end result NJ n group Of
inier-acting factors. Some Of the
pncnmonias are Infectious and some
OF the dlarrheas are also Infections.
but, as a general rule. infants that
die from either OF these die because
OF some naladJustment to the world
In which they are trying to live.
Who0plng cough causes more
deaths in infancy than does any
other infectious disease. One hun.
dred and four deaths were attrib-
uted to this cause In Infancy In
1880. For anyone TO minimize the
seriousness Of whO0plng cough In
the face OF these figures Is a mani
featation OF ignorance. Whooplng
cough In the age group under one Is
very serious disease. II should
never be taken lightly. and particu-
lar effort should be made not TO
expose a very young child to whoop-
Ing cough.
The greatest advancements have
been made In the science of diges-
tion. We know what to feed the
Infant 10 keep II healthy. promote
growth and prevent disease. We
know the proper measures OF foods
10 feed infants OF various ages. and
how concentrated and how dilute II.
should be. The general care of the
infant insofar as exposure 10 sun
light. the feeding OF orange juice
and cod-llver oil. have not been for
the purpose OF giving medicine but
for the purpose OF feeding the in
fant growth-prOmoting and other
vitamln-llke substances that will
prevent the development OF pneu-
monias and diarrheas. The crying
infant is an object of pity, but the
little fellow is only getting his mus
cular exercise. He takes his daily
dozen while crying.
We do not know how to reduce
the infant hazard during the first
few days of life. The hazards Of
being born and the adjustments the
infant must make in order TO sur
vive in the outside world seem TO
be hazards for the infants Of all
peoples all over the world. Ii has
always been so. And If a weak
child survives the first few days,
then 1t may succumb in a few
months to those two executing dis
eases-pneumonia and diarrhea.
Better knowledge of what con-
stitutes cleanliness. the general use
OF refrigeration for keeping infant
foods from souring and the screen
ing Of windows to keep out flies and
other winged insects, have all been
important measures in the heath
of the child, and they lessen the
possibility of infectious diarrhea,
but they do not seem to prevent
the diarrhea that is due to the
maladjustment of the organs Of the
body.
But when child passes the first
birthday, he enters into the health
lest period of life. If he can avoid
the severe infectious diseases, he has
not much to fear except accidents;
but accidents are a cause of too
many deaths in youth.
The healthiest age group is that
from five to twenty years Of age.
After that the period Of wear and
tear begins.
According to an editorial in the
Journal of the American Medical
Association recently, the infant who
survives the first year can have a
life expectancy Of 105 years.
g Western Newspaper Union