SAVING THE BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 174, 16 April 1908, Page 3

SAVING THE BABIES.

' LOSS OF: 16)000 IN TEN 'YEARS. ' Tho following manifesto' has been''issued >y the Society for the Promotion of tho iqalth of Women . and Children in co'nneciioh • with an appeal for further funds: —. \ In New Zealand, during tho last ten years, lorae 16,000 babies have died. It is safe to ;ay that more' than half "those babies- would lave lived if they had been properly fed and ;ended.: : For one baby killed by intentional :ruelty or neglect, a hundred perish through mere ignorance. v/ ; WHAT;ABOUT THE 200,000 SURVIVORS? Leading authorities agree, that the deathtoll among babies is quite, an ~ insignificant avil compared with ;the stunting -or mitiming for • life"■ of the majority. of those . who /survive'. For one baby, who dies from improper a-dozen are, more or less seriously damaged, .and grow, up with, defective health,, feeble digestion, and weakened frames. (See Dental Reports, Reports. of' Commission on Physical' Degeneration, etc.) , WHAT "HAS TOE SOCIETY' DONE TO. 1 HELP.THE MOTHERS ANDrSAVE THE BAIHES? ' -. ' (1) It . has • strenuously ' .advocated /the aatural feeding; of infants.-" " (2) Where 'this was impossible 1 it has adrocatftL'&nd'" provided', tlio best-known substitute' for' mother's , milk—namcljy . properly mbdified cow's- milk; This ba*s- been '-dono in Dunedin with the co-operation-of .the Taieri arid' Peninsula Dairy Company, which ' has aided ' us ;'by establishing . a special department for tho. prcpartion and distribution' of Immaniscd'milk, worked by Nurse M'Kinnon and her assistants'. Tho' leading., authorities if the,; medical profession' recognise' that this rood is the only artificial product'which approaches tho ideal of conforming' to the standard of breast,milk. There is' nothing iri. tho field to compare with itbut, 'unfortunately, the 1 price of factory-made humanised milk is prohibitive at Home i and in America, except' for the', comparative well-to-do. In Boston the . cost of feeding a baby, on scientifically prepared humanised milk 'js found to 1 average half-a-crown a day. i In,Dunedin; on the other hand, tho. average expense is littlo over half : a ; crown- a week. ' 'The resources of the. Taieri Company - are practically given- in. Thus, the orio reason' for' hot'.'using readymade humanised'milk no. longer ,exists here. There is no other .city" in the world .in which thero exists anything liko. the facilities-which noiv obtain in Dunedin for safely, and economically rearing' babies that- must be artificially- fed. -. Tho Society has enabled, the use. of humanised milk to'become general throughout the Dominionby issuing instructions for its-easy preparation in the home, ■ .together l with full information as to how the milk should be. kept'and administered. ■ :. \ (8) .Ithis disseminated accurate information 'affecting the health ; of - mothers and children" by means of lectures,-, pamphlets, correspondence,-and otherwise. The answers given; iri'the Press form only a: minute fraction ; of the- correspondence involved, nearly all'the letters coming from - mothers >iri every part, of the Dominion: having.' so far. been answered' direct owing to restricted space. Judging' by the exceedingly grateful l letters which'' come' from all quarters, thero is no feature of, thp_ Society's work that is doing more good or is more appreciated, especially in. remote districts beyond' the reach of doctors and nurses. ' ' - Lectures and demonstrations by members of the'Dunedin Society and Nurse M'Kinnon •have-been given riot only in Otago, but also in various centres of Canterbury, Wellington, and Auckland. i ' ' (4) It. has provided-for the analysis of any specimen of mill: sent, whether human or . prepared, thus ensuring tho mother against' continuing' to' use; food, markedly wrong in any ingredient, and indicating what correction should be made. ... ' (5). It has provided nurses ready at any timo to givo 'advice ' arid . instruction to mothers, in the home or elsewhere, with a view to conserving the'health aid strength of the rising generation, and rendering both mother and offspring hardy and healthy, and resistivo 1 to' discaso. • • ■ (6) Tho Society- undertook, at its inception eleven?' months ago to' endeavour' -to" promote . certain legislative reforms. I'hose' duly came to pass last session in connection , with the Infant, Lifo Protection Act ,and the new Customs tariff—namely :■ Prompt registration of birth, improved care of babies in licensed homos, and the removal of duty from sugar of milk. In connection with the baby movement a ton and a quarter of sngar of milk was imported and sold retail, duty paid, at ,Is. 3d. a lb., instead, of 2s. 6d., as formerly, and the remission of duty has .brought about a further reduction to Is. a lb.—thus bringing this food material, which is'essential for the health of bottle-fed babies, within the reach of,overyone. Tho'expenses.of two deputations to Wellington in the above connection wero borne solely by the deputies, no .'expenses'., being charged against the society. (7) The. socioty has cooperated .with organisations which are working for tl\o foregoing or cognate objects, such as tho Society- for tho Protection of Women and Children, the Salvation" Army; etc. The recent joint action in connection with the Garrick case shows how effectively tho interests of waifs can bo safeguarded by judicioils co-operation. THE KARITANE HOME. Thp society has established the first baby hospital in the Dominion. From 12 to 18 infants at a ; .time ' have been under care. The object of the society is to take in babies of any class who have got into a bad

way, and cannot-be set right in their, own. homes, and to return them to their parents or guardians, usually within a few weeks, under the charge of a nurse, who advises as to the further care and attention needed and revisits the homo from time to timo to sec that all goes well. TRAINING-SCHOOL FOR MOTHERS. The Karitane Home, is also.a trainingschool for mothers and nurses, weekly lectures and practical demonstrations being given on-' all matters concerning the baby. All nurses coming under Lady Plunket's scheme are to liavo special training at , the Karitano Home and in Dunedin. ASSISTANCE IN FEEDING BABIES. To the Salvation Army, to' licensed homes, ancl to some destitute mothers, humanised milk has been supplied' at less than the price of ordinary milk, and in some cases free. The burden of this has been generously borne mainly by the Taieri, and l'eninsula Dairy Company. Indeed, in all directions the funds of tho society have been spared as far as possible.by work and material given by tho public and by members of. the committee. . WHAT, LADY PLUNKET SAYS. ' Her Excellency says:—"Our l-.urse is not solely for. the poor.;' Her knowledge and experience can .be taken, advantage of byariy mothers, whether 'their incomes bo large or small. For not only will she take'the place of a good-natured neighbour or tho experienced 'mother of -14'. (10 of whom she has buried), but she can be called, in to give the advice which a trained and experienced' English head nurse possesses—a class of servant which is very difficult to obtain in the colonies.'-',. . ■ . ■ ■ ' '{ "The successful establishment of the society throughout tho Dominion means endless anxiety-' and suffering spared; it means a decrease -in the ' appalling infant deathrate; and it means more and, healthier children for New Zealand and the Empire." NEED OF SUPPORT AND FUNDS. Tho society/hopes to .receive the hearty support of parents tliroughout"tho< comimir nit'y to enable it to vigorously pursue its work, for which funds are urgently needed. A house-to-house collection, will commence to-day, and it is felt that all mothers should become members of tho society..#