The Omaha guide., 1945-04-28
Child's Health Day
May l, 1915

N1dy l., 1910
After the issuance of a President
ial proclamation designating May l,
1916 as Child Health Day, Negro par
ents throughout the ountry were
urged this week to join all other
parents in cooperating with State
health departments and bureaus of
vital statistics in intensive birth
registration campaigns.
Cooperation of all groups of the
population in the birth-registration
campaign was asked by Katharine
F. Lenroot, chief of the Children's
Bureau. Department of Labor; and
J.. c. Capt, director of the Bureau of
the Census, Department of Conn
merce. These two agencies are joint
sponsors of this years observance
Of Child Health Day.
zone out of every 10 babies born
each year is not registered" Mr..
Capt said. "a birth certificate is the
best evidence Of citizenship. age and
place of birth it is possible to have
in claiming many of the privileges
and projections of citizenship"
Miss Linroot said:
Complete birth registration is of
enormous assistance to State and
local health departments in plann-
ing adequat health programs for
children. Under the Social Service
Act. Federal funds have been made
available to State health depart
ments to promote programs Of ma
ternal and child health and welfare.
Unless all births are registered in a
State the amount of money received
by that State is less than the pro-
portion to which it is entitled, and
so fewer children get the care they
might have.
A 1910 study on Completeness of
Birth Registration" by the Bureau
of the Census shows that registrat-
ion is generally poorest in rural
areas, and among the nonwhite pop
ulation in both rural and urban
areas. Many rural areas showed 100
per cent completeness of registrat-
ion. however, and in some areas the
nonwhite population had better reg
istration than the white population.
Delaware. for example, showed 100
per cent nonwhite registration for
urban areas as compared with go
per cent registration for the whites.
and a 97.7 per cen nonwhite rural
registration as compared with 94.2
per cent for whites.
In most States where large seq
ments of the Negro population re-
side. the percentage of nonwhite re
g~istration is generally below that Of
the whole community. In Arkansas.
for example, only 63.2 per cent Of
the nonwhite births were registered
in 1910; in Oklahoma, 66.9; in Texas
6S.7 per cent.
Other percentages of complete
birth registrations for nOnwhites in
cluded: New York 96.3; New Jersey,
9S.7; Pennsylvania. 92.9; Ohio. 93.7;
Indiana. $40; Illinois, 90.6; Mich
Igan. $40; Wisconsin. 93.2; Mimi
esota, 97.2; Missouri, S2.7; Kansas,
s2.s: Maryland, GAL: District of Col
umbia, 96.6; Virginia, 9O.2; West
Virginia. S1.3; North Carolina. $40;
South Carolina. Ills; Georgia, IT'S;
Florida, S6.4; Kentucky. S7.6;
Tennessee, ISL; Alabama, S2.4;
Mississippi. S6.2; Louisina, S3.7; and
California, 96.5 per cent.
Stressing the advantages of com
plete birth registration in his pro-
clamation of April 9, President
Roosevelt declared:
sentials in the
"WHEREAS the health and vigor
of the nations citizens are not only
essentials in the achievement Of
peace but alec for the goals for the
fullest enjoyment and perpetuation
of peace; and
WHEREAS it has been demon
strated hat many physical defects
which handicap large numbers Of
adult citizens are evident during
childhood. and could be prevented 0.
corrected with proper care at that
time:
WHEREAS good community
planning for the health and care of
our children arts with the regist-
ration at birth of all babies; and
WHEREAS each year tie births
of tens Of thousands Of our babies
ARE not officially registered. and
WHEREAS the Congress by joint
resolution Of May IS, 1925 (45 Stat.
GID authorized and requested the
President Of the United States to
issue annually a proclamation sett-
ing apart May ! as Child Health
Day;
NOW, THEREFORE,. FRANK
LIN d. ROOSEVELT, President OF
the United States of America. do
hereby designate the first day of
May of this year as Child Health
Day.
AND call upon the people in
each community to use hat day as
an occasion to impress upon the
parents the Importance Of register
ing the birth Of every baby born IL
the United States; and / further urge
our citizens to mobilize community
resources for the better care Of our
children so hat the growing gen
Grafton will be strong to mold the
peace.
In WITNESS WHEREOF 1 have
hereunto set my hand and caused
the seal of the United States OF
America to be affixed"