The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-04-24
GROWING
PAINS
By MARIE O'DEA

maryland can lay cldlnl TO having
initiated much of the child health
work now being carried on throughout
the country.
Dr. J. H. Mason Knox, head of the
Bureau of Child Hygiene of the Mary
land Department of Health, was pres
ident of the American Association for
the Study and Prevention of Infalt
Mortality when that body held its first
meeting in 1910 in Baltimore. At that
time, Dr.. Knox made an eloquent plea
in behalf of the health of our chill
dren. Impetus gathered and in 1923,
an international effort toward the
ideal of healthy children was set up in
Geneva.
Early in the following year a letter
arrived at the White House asking
President Calvin Coolidge to approve
a national Child Health Day. The
letter was signed by Herbert Hoover,
president of the American Child
Health Association. Of course, Presi-
dent Coolidge approved the drive.
Four years later, Congress passed
joint resolution naming May LIST as
National Child Health Day and au-
thorized the President to issue such
proclamation. 1t is hardly necessary to
say that the Chief Executive en-
Enthusiastically adopted the idea. He was
Herbret Hoover who had taken such
an interest previously.
He not only precipitated the annual
observance crystallizing nationwide
attention upon child health but also
called the White House Childrens
Conferences, summoning all child
health and child welfare leaders to
assemble and begin concerted action on
this problem. At the White House
Conference in November, 1880, the
famous Children's Charter was drawn
up.
But long before these national
movements took place, Maryland had
been plugging steadily forward in this
all important field. A survey of the
situation revealed some very discour-
aging statistics. In 1918, 140 out of
every 1000 babies born died while
still very young.
In 1922, about 96 out Of every 1000
infants died during their first year. 1t
was recognized that at least half of
these babies could have been saved if
the mother had received proper care
during pregnancy and at childbirth. In
! that same year, about one hundred
Maryland women died during deliv-
cry.
At that time there were 700 prac-
ticing mid-wives in the State, 500
colored and 200 white. Most of them
were aged women (more than 100 of
them being over 70 years Of age) who
had received no hospital training and
practically no instruction in sanitary
methods.
In that same year, 1922, it was
found that the children passing
through that lively, habit-forming era
of two to seven years were being al
most completely neglected. They were
arriving at school age with poor eye
sight, bad teeth, enlarged 3onsils and
adenoids, ricketts,, even tuberculosis.
Many had not been vaccinated against
smallpox nor immunized against
diphtheria.
Into the field went the public health
nurses and the Healthmobile sup
ported by health propaganda through
moving pictures, conferences, lee
lures, pamphlets and newspaper
articles
The Healthmobile visited the coun-
ty fairs carrying its child health ex-
hibit and demonstrating the proper
diets and clothing for children. Thou
sands of children We're examined on
the spot. Their mothers were notified
| by letter of the defects found in the
children and in every case possible
copies Of the letters were forwarded
to family physicians. Nurses followed
up the cases. Besides, the Department
cooperated with and encouraged pri-
vate organizations in child health
work.
Nurses gave simple instruction in
antiseptic methods to midwives who
were handling so much of the work
because of the lack of physicians. AS
the number of professional men in
creased, the number of midwives de-
creased. Those remaining in service
became better informed as the nurse
instructors visited them.
The great drive toward healthy
mothers and children was definitely
under way in this State.
That figure of 140 out of every
1000 new babies dying in 1918 has
been reduced to 54.8 per 1000 in 1899.
Only SO mothers died in childbirth in
1899 as compared with more than one
hundred in 1922.
There are now about 100 licensed
midwives as against 700 back in 1922
and those practicing are instructed by
nurses, must pass examinations, and
each must be approved bv two