INFANT MORTALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 137, 13 June 1938, Page 10

INFANT MORTALITY.

DOMINION PROBLEM.

CASE OF MAORI MOTHER. il MORE EDUCATION NEEDED." (I>y I«-'U'grai>U.—Uwn CurrfsponUpnt.) W-MKOA, this day. Xew Zealand is proud of its low rat.' of infant mortality, but if the mortality rate anion;.' the Maori children were included, the figures for this count rv would not compare with any countiy in l'.tiro|.e olit-ide I\u-sia, a<i:ording to at; opinion by l)r. S. \Y. J. llai • 1.-utt durini: an address at the annual meeting of the Wairoii branch of the l'lunket Society. l'r. liar) utt -tre--ed the fsreat need f- r ondea\ ouriiea to indn.-e Maori mothers to take an interest in the work of the society. " 1 he Maori people require a g mhl ilea! more education and training than thev a:e ««ttin« today." -aid ])r. llarl.mt. It is \cry difticult to lind common '.'round on wiiicli to work. The Maoriii'.'inir natives it was natural for them to breast-feed their babies, but the percentage of b<-tt'e and tin-fed Maori babies is probably higher than it ianionj; ]iakehat=. llo'v Maori babies -land up to what «ome of them are fed with really is very hard to understand. Ihe Maoris anpoar to think that aiivincr with milk written on the label i'd cnoujrh.'' Dr. ffarbiitt ws« nf the opinion tl>nl if Maori n."t!'ers could i>e eta-oii'i' | f., 'Till'/ t'neir liabinc to the Plunkel in'*ant mortality among tic A ! a"i;.; coiii,? (io reduced by half in a very short time. Dr. Ilariaitt appealed to niember- of I lie society to «ot into tonr-li v\ ith Maori cn.thrrs. and «rt them introduced to t'i" I'.u Jiket Socii>t v. There was no rea-on at all wlty »ft per cc.it of th - > ri mothers should not breast-feed thei babies.