Milford chronicle., 1946-04-12
More Important Than
Reaching The Moon
CHILD HEALTH


troduced in the closing days of the Senate
session by Senator Pepper with sponsorship
bv nearly dozen colleagues of both parties,
seeks solution for one of the most profound
of our national Problems Nothing more in
timatelv concerns our future as nation than
the health of our children. The Pepper bill
would make Federal financial aid to the ex-
tent of 100 million dollars available to the
States for the purpose of providing medical
care and health services for mothers and
children and child-wclfare service for emo
tionallv sick and insecure children and for
children without parental care or supervi-
sion. This program would be administered
through State health departments and would
assure patients free choice among voluntarily
participating doctors. hospitals and clinics.
Americas Most Precious Asset
The program follows the carefully
thought-out recommendations of the Ma
tional Commission on Children in Wartime.
THE health of children, no less than their
cducaion. says the report of this commits
sion. lis public responsibility. If during
the coming decades children are to grow TO
maturity physically and mentally fit, if they
are to be able to take advantage of the cdu-
cational opportunities offered to them, and if
they are to assume their position as respon-
siblc members of society when they are ma
turc, they must be assured of healthy bodies
and healthy minds when they are Young.
We have not done very much for child
health in the past. The Childrens Bureau,
which would administer the ALLEGATION of
funds under the proposed law. has been re-
ccving mere 3million dollars to assist all
rs States in developing chld-welfarc serv-
ices. On this budget. only 400 of our 5000
counties can be served in any one year. There
are not even sufficient funds TO take care CT
our orhopcdicaly crippled children or of III:
half million Youngsters under Is suffering
from rheumatic fever or of the 10000 under
16with cerebral palsy who could be educated
if skilled care were provided for them.
NotionuI Health Begins with Child HecIfh
And infants in this country, with It's
vaunted standard of living, have to take their
chanccs-which differ very widely from State
TO State. In the country as whole, 40 out
of every 1000 babies born alive die before
their first birthday. The infant mortality raic
per thousand varies from 80 in Connecticut
to as high as 0I.6 in New Mexico. If the
record in every State were as good as i'll
Connccticut-ccrtainly not an unattainablc
goal we could save 1000 babies every
year Even in the relative good year Of
1910" Senator Pepper points out, about
half our children were living in families with
incomes of less than $40 week Good ma
terniIy care cannot be purchased with left
over from $40 week after food, clothing
and shelter for a family are paid for
There has been an admirable test for the
national program proposed by Senator Pep
per in the wartime emergency maternity and
infant care program for servicemen wives
and babies 1t has been boon to young
mothers and to infants. And it has strength
cned. without in any way impingng upon
the system of private medicine. Its value:
have been far too great to be abandoned will
the end of the emergency. 1t should be eX
tended so that good medical care can be made