OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 28, 27 October 1917, Page 3

OUR BABIES

|'BX HYGEIi.T Published under tho auspices of the Society for the Health of Women and Ohlldrcn. "it is wiser io put un a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain au ambulance at the bottom." "SAVE THE BABIES" WEEK. Tho following article is taken from the "Pall Mall aazetto" of June 29, 1917. Mrs. 11, B. Irving toured New Zealand with her husband boiuo years ago, and when in. Duucdin she visited tho Karitano Harris Hospital and tho two Plunket offices located at that timo in tho Post Office Buildings, Liverpool Street, and in Oargill ttoad, South Duncdiu. Mrs. Irvine was greatly interested in all the dotailß of tho Plunket Society's work, becaueo of her intimate connection with tho St. Pancras School for Mothers, tho first clinic of its kind established in London. She. told us then that sho had a chicken farm in tho country, in \\hich sho was very much wrapped up. _ This is a matter of some iutorcst in view of her references to tho care of chickens. Tho editor of the "Pall Mall Gazette" introduces Mrs. Irvine's articlo in the following words:— "It is a pleasure to givo this column to-day to the National Baby Week. _ Mrs. Irving's words arc well worth reading." THE MESSAGE OP NATIONAL BABT WEEK. (By Sirs. H. B. Irving.) If anyono wanted to run a profitable chicken farm he would sco that tho chickens had plenty of sDaeo to run about in, a good water-supply, airy houses, limewashed and cleaned out daily, and suitable food; otherwise the chickens would die. If a poultry-farm farmer lost ono chicken in every live, and two-fifths of his entire stock iwere poor specimens, ho would give up his business as a bad job; but. ho is not so stupid. He takes reasonable precautious to ensure a supply or lino chickens. Now, I want, yon tor a moment to imagine tho nation as tuc owner of a baby farm. It wants all its babies, and they are its assets; but it isn't a clever manager—it, loses too many from preventable causes.

MOST BABIES BOKN HEALTBX Ninety per cent, of all babies are born healthy. If wo took ■ more cafe for tho young mothers and taught the laws of physical health to young people we should have an even higher percentage of r.vmg healthy births. „ ~ Anyhow, imagine these 90 perfectly sound babies. II they lived in good surroundings with Iresn. air, and. had lathers who were comfortably off, only four of them would die. If they were the children of parents earning 255. to £2 10s. a week, living in places like Shorcditch and Poplar. 18 would die before tho year was out, and of ti™ lu who remained quite 40 would be suffering from some physical defect or delicacy which would help to make hfo liarder for them in tho future. The mother IS surely the person most responsible. Verywell, then. Enlighten the mother, and the desired result will be achieved. Needed: A Bchool for Slum PropertyOwners. But teaching the mothers did not iniprovo housing conditions, and nobody baa thought of Btarting a school for filutn property-owners. There is nothing easier than lecturing mothers on their duties. There Is nothing harder than. effecting real improvement in the environment, food, and treatment of the mothers and children themselves.

Babies A National Asset. Infant welfare work cannot any longer bo the monopoly of a few enthusiastic people. Babies are a national asset, and they ont'ht to be a national responsibility. If we cared enough we could save sO.COO babies every year. It is not the fault of tho State nor the fault of the municipality, because citizens are the only people who in tho end can say what is to be done. Their representatives are, their servants, and it is up to the nmu m the street to say. "This is my stunt; go fihcad with the baby-saying apparatus - and he would, if he really understood the national peril, and that it is more dangerous to bo a baby In England than a soldier of the line in France Wo are glad to think that it was America who first gave us tho idea of National Baby Week. Babies aro a business proposition in American, and we hope it will not be long .before they aie regarded In that light here.. If we had only taken care of our babies better in the past wo might have had another 600,000 men ready to-day for our country s need. —