Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1938-02-25
HAS YOUR
BIRTH BEEN
RECORDED?
DIR. Riley States Importance vi
Birth Registration To
Individual
EFFORT BEING MADE
TO HAVE RECORD 1000

Have YOU ever had occasion to find
out whether your birth was duly reg
istered? If you should need to es-
tablish your identity, to prove you are
of age and an American citizen, to es-
tablish your right to an inheritance,
to vote, to take out insurance papers,
to substantiate your claims to proper
ty right, or for other purposes for
which legal proof of identity, based
upon official records, is required, are
you sure you could produce the neces-
sary copy of your birth certificate?
These are some of the questions
asked by DR.. R. H. Riley, Director of
the State Department of Health, to
illustrate the Importance of the birth
record to the individual, and the pos
sibilities of irreparable loss or great
inconvenience, to the person whose
birth has not been duly, and accurate
ly, recorded.
The State Department of Health,
DR.. Riley, explained, is the final Gus
todian of the records of births and
deaths in the State. Responsibility
for reporting births rests primarily
with the physician, midwife, or 9th
ers in attendance, but it is shared
with the parents or others with know
ledge of the circumstances. The law
requires every birth to be reported
within four days. Blank forms on
which this is to be done are supplied
to physicians and midwives, and to
hospitals or other Institutions in which
births may occur. The records are
transmitted to the State Department
of Health through the local regis
trars, and are checked and filed, pro-
visionally, by the Bureau of Vital
Statistics.
Within a short time after the report
of the physician or midwife has been
received copy of the record is sent
to the parents, who are asked to check
it up for accuracy and completeness
VI G1lI0 W ACbbAh ~ LII
permanent filing IN the Department.
Very great responsibility rests upon
the parents at this point, DR.. Riley
said, for reviewing the record care
fully, to see that the given name of
the child, sex and color, the date and
place of birth, the full name of moth
er and father, and the name of the
physician or midwife in attendance,
are correctly and legibly stated. Very
often the necessary information is
lacking, and the record has to be sent
back to be corrected or completed.
Birth registration, DR.. Riley added,
serves a double purpose. 1t is not
only of the utmost Importance, legal
", to the individual, but it is equally
so to the State from the standpoint of
State must know how many babies
public health administration. There
are born, and where, and how many
die, and the causes of deaths among
them, in order that the necessary pro-
tective measures may be put into eff
feet. Accordingly, it is for the best
interests of both the individual and the
State for every birth to be promptly
and accurately reported.
In many parts of Maryland, peo-
pie are "birth registration" conscious
in other sections, the situation is less
favorable. In every part of the State
every possible effort is made to have
the registration of this State one hun
dred per cent complete.