Evening star., 1950-12-31
1888 Babies
Born in 50 for
District Record
Low Mortality Rates
In Maternity Cases
Hailed by Seckineer

Births IN the District set a new
volume record this year, with at
least 29,353 babies registered COM
pared with the previous mark Of
1852 in 1947.
A preliminary study of 1850
Health Department statistics, Of
ficials said, shows that 18,404 of
the new babies were born to Dis
trict-resident mothers. Parents of
the other infants live outside the
city. mostly in nearby Maryland
and Virginia communities.
The 29,353-baby mark figures
to a city birth rate of 22.9 per
1000 population, according to DR..
Daniel L. Seckinger. District di-
rector of public health. The 1949
rate was 225.
Death Rate Higher.
On the other side of the ledger,
DR.. Seckinger said, 1950's death
: rate of 11.3 per 1000 population
was above the 1949 rate of 1912.
He pointed out, however. that
current years rate was based on
a population of 802,178 persons,
while last years was based on the
higher estimate of $4,000 resi-
dents. Deaths registered this year
in the study totaled 1904.
The health chief said that
probably the most encouraging of
all the statistics were the years
low rates of infant and maternal
death-"delicate measures for de-
termining the health of city"
The estimated 1850 infant NOR
tality rate was 26.2 per 1000 live
births, 2 below the 1949 rate. BY
way of contrast, Dr. Seckinger said,
records show that so years ago
281.9 babies died for every 1000
live births. In 1925, the rate stood
at 87.4.
Maternal Rate Low.
Setting another new record. the
maternal death rate for 1850 was
set Professionally at 4 per 1000
live births, with only IL deaths due
to childbirth or complications. A
IS rate last year was the previous
record low.
At the same time. DR.. Seckinger
stressed that such chronic dis
eases as heart ailments, cancer
and tuberculosis have replaced
acute diseases as the main killers
OF man. Due to improved treat
ment methods, typhoid fever, diph- |
liberia. scarlet fever and the diar-
rheas are near the vanishing point
as killers.
The comparative increase of
cancer and heart disease mortality
exists mainly because of control of
these other ailments. For this rea-
son. DR.. Seckinger urged increased
preventive programs to combat
chronic ailments among older
persons.
Some Diseases Up.
Despite sharp decreases in many
diseases, health officials said, 1850
saw increases in pneumonia, in
f1uenza, polio and whooping cough.
Reporting on other health ac-
tivities, DR.. Seckinger reviewed
formation of the new medical
phase of the civil defense program.
The Hospital Permit Bureau, re-
named the Bureau of Medical As
sistance on December Is, is reg
istering an average of $500 cases
each month for Gallinger Hospital.
In addition they have determined
the eligibility of cases sent to pri-
vate hospitals under contract with
the Health Department.
Emphasis has been placed on
the collection of medical fees from
patients found able to pay for their
hospital care. With the co-opera-
tion of 18 District insurance COM
panieS arrangements were made
to collect sick benefits for care of
patients. Revenue collected from
patients during 1850 totaled $319,-
AIS as compared with $229,946
for 1949.
Increase in Cancer Patients.
One of the notable activities of
the Bureau of Cancer Control was
the increase in the number of pa
tients at the clinics. In 1850, |
1885 examinations were completed
as compared with 861 in the pre-
vious year.
Progress in venereal disease
control was indicated by the sta
tistical data of the venereal dis
ease bureau. Approximately 200
cases of syphilis was reported
during 1850 compared with SGT in
1949.
Insanitary slum housing and it's
attendant problems has con-
tinued to be one of the activities
of the Health Department, and
the remodeling of the old Gales
School, 65 Massachusetts avenue
NV, has made possible long
needed central maternity center
for the Bureau of Child Welfare.
During the year a total of &c.
S15 public and parochial school
children were given complete ply
sical examinations. OF this num-
ber 24,378 were found to have
physical defects. Defective teeth
headed the list of defects, with
defective tonSils and eyesieht next.