Evening star., 1939-01-06
$4,500,OO0Additiona
Held Needed fol,
Motherhood Cases
I'll
so
Mrs. Roosevelt Hears
OF Requirements in
RuruI Areas

An additional $4,500,0 900 is needed
throughout the Nation to provide
medical care for mothers at the time
of delivery and for newborn babies.
DR.. Martha M. Eliot, assistant chief
of the Childrens Bureau Of the De-
partment of Labor, told reporters at
Mrs Franklin D. Roosevelt's press
conference yesterday.
The total annual budget for ma
ternal and child health administered
by the Children's Bureau under the
Social Security Act Is now $500 ,00o,
which DR.. Eliot said, is used mainly
for the promotion of health. She
recommended not only the addi-
tional S4,5O0,000, but also another
$3.OOO,OO0 to begin health program
for older children.
Basing her statements on the rec
concentrations made at the National
Health Conference last July, DR..
Eliot said the greatest needs were
for rural hospitals, diagnostic CEN
ters in rural areas, a program for
those who are able to provide neces-
sites but unable to buy medical care,
an increase in funds for care at time
of delivery and for children not pro-
vided for under the Social Security
Act.
Cites Variety Of Needs.
In the last classification, she in
cluded among others, children With
cardiac conditions and diabetes,
those who needed glasses or dental
planned that while the States get
S28O0,000 under the Social Security
Act for crippled children, the sum
is inadequate to care for children
suffering from other defects al
though it is not earmarked solely
for the crippled.
The crippled childrens program
has been especially beneficial, she
said, in providing experience which
may be used when funds are avail
able for other aids to children.
During the last year, she said, the
interest in maternal and child care
has grown enormously. The first
two years of the program were years
of development, but during 1888 the
States took up practically all the
social security funds available to
them on matching basis.
Twice as many visits were made to
prenatal conferences as in the pre-
vious year, she added, and there
were three times as many visits to
child health conferences. Three
hundred new prenatal conferences
have been developed.
More Rural Counties Served.
An increasing number of local
doctors have been paid out Of funds
for prenatal clinics and conferences
and there has been a great increase
in the number of rural counties
served
Before a prenatal conference, she
explained, the nurse visits the eX-
pectant mothers of the area and
urges them to attend the conference.
The mothers come to central Office
where they are given physical ex-
aminations, a diet is planned for
them and program of home care is
outlined.
Through the examinations the
doctor is able to detect the develop
ment of toXemias of pregnancy. DR..
Eliot reported that one-fourth to
one-third Of all deaths in child
bearing resulting from toxemias
which can be halted before it is too
late.
Mrs. Roosevelt led the questioning
which followed DR.. Eliots report and
introduced Miss Linda Littlejohn of
Australia, who is head of national
women's organization there, and vol
unteered to compare maternity serv-
ices in Australia with those provided
here.
Tells of Flying Doctors"
She spoke mainly about flying
doctors" who. enable families to go
into the back country with the as
surance that wives will receive ade-
quate medical care.
The doctors, she said, are on call
within a 500-mile radius. Because
of the lack of telephone, two-way
radio systems have been worked out
by which the doctor can be notified
of call and can fly Immediately to
the family home.
The flying service, started by
missionary, is now Is years old. 1t
is supported by private organiza-
tions, churches and individuals, with
the government making up the
deficit.