“SAVE THE BABIES.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4526, 18 April 1917, Page 7

“SAVE THE BABIES.”

METHODS ADOPTED IN

ENGLAND

INTERVIEW WITH ADJUTANT HOLMES.

Further information i n regard to the measures taken in tlie United Knjgdom for the protection of infan tiJe life was given by Adjutant Holmes of the local, corps 0 f the ■ Salvation Army, to a Times, reporter yesterday afternoon. ’

.“The latest figures tell a sad story,” sijtid Adjutant Holmes, “and in several parts of the United: Kingdom only 80 out of every 100 babies live to celebrate their 6th birthday. There is tragedy in that record. Look at the measure of waste in the United King „ 0m - number of births in 1913 ua,s. 1,102,033 and. the number of deaths under one year was 119,074. ?nn m r- ‘W infant death rate of 10.8 per tOO births. The ignorance of the mothers to take proper care of their children, is at present strongly insisted! upon, by many social reformers as a powerful factor in the loss of infant life. This view has been justified, for such measures by the establishment of schools for mothers for clip, teaching of ‘ motlier-eraft. Maternal ignorance might be divided into two, classes : (1). The mother has no knowledge to guide her in spending money in tne purchase of proper food. She cannot get or afford, as well-to-do mothers can, skilled guidance or experienced help. She is often ignorant of how to keep food or how to prepare it. Measures such as the Notification of Births Act and the provision for maternity benefits dlo much to increase the comfort of women during and after child-birth. (Some reformers even go as far as to advocate the notification of pregnancy. The Town Councils’ of Nottingham and Huddersfield have introduced a system of notification of pregnancy. The Huddersfield Council pays a fee of 2s 6d to doctors and mid-wives for each notification. ’Hie Births Notification Act was passed! in 1907. Bradford, for instance was one of the first towns to adopt the Act. and with its anti-natal maternity clinics and its hospitals give the city a-’justly earned reputation as being amongst the- foremost cities of the country as regards its care for infant life. For instance, notification of births was permitted since 1917, but the Act was observed by only 50 per cent of the authorities and in many instances the intentions of the Act for the safety of infants were, evaded. The Act was now compulsory, and notification of a- birth had to be made within 36 hours of the event. This was done in the hope of saving many infants who die of preventable causes very shortly after birth. Local authorities make the Act of no avail if they simply insist upon notification and omit the duty of sending competent persons to visit the mother and child. The law would simply be a dead letter. “The loss of infant life is a national danger, and we must know and record the amount and ascertain its causes. We must learn to take care of the mother, even for six months before the child is born. Much has already been done, but much more remains "to be accomplished. The loss of infant life is a family injury and miscarriage entails the loss of the child:. Much of the loss can be prevented and ought to be prevented. The ignorance of many of the mothers on how to care for their children must be removed. With tlie King and Queen for patrons, and with at least two Cabinet Ministers on the committee, there has existed for many vears a National Association for .the prevention of infant mortality. The last report of the Association prefaced its statistics with the words nor want of knowledge and care. You ask on the part of whom? Everyone of the members of this committeethe postmaster, general President of the Local Government Board, eminent doctors, chairman and president, all replv with one voice —the mother ! The work of the Association was given under these headings (1). compulsory notification of births and still-biiths ? (2) supervision of infants placed out to nurse; (3-) appointment oi women health inspectors; (4) amendment to the Infant Life Protection A.ct ; (5) instruction of school gn*aS in infant care; (6) tlie provision of antinatal, as well as post-natal care for mothers and babies. . . . , , “The Salvation Army has initiated, a school for the carrying on of this work and trained nurses are employed to follow up notification ot birth. Among the means suggested, is the increase of benefits for maternity, ot mothers’ hospitals on the lines carried out on the lines of the teal vat ion Army Home at Clapton, London, which lias recently been enlarged. There the mothers received! that attention which they cannot receive l their own homes. We ought to establish these hospitals m all centies, not only for the poor people, bin, foi people who live in small nousos "heie the surroundings of the mother ai not often as satisfactory as nii ß - bo The results obtained have been encouraging. Means could also oc taken to educate the public, by lectures and by personal influences In some towns, especially Manchestei, Solford, and other fields, the notification of births had been in force since 1899 and at Huddersfield since 1960. *1 nion" the measures that would en‘sure a decrease in infant mortality, wore training in health matters, and the welfare of infants and, little children, the visitation ofwoincn vlm have applied for maternity aUonauc-. These measures would do awa> ■ a lot- of sickness because the. cl d would be given a. better start ,n ] ife if its mother were propel ly cat i d j , He MaSS bv onoting an extinct iioni an a. - • bv General Booth; —“There, is n mirer joy in life than-the joy of mother-hood, and I firmly believe that children are a heritage of God, ana' l e greatest source of happiness and SSMs. The - Bible those people who want to ’cducc oi limit the birth rate. I dc> ot thin riches or poverty have am thing t o do with it. Poor people get just as much happiness out of their children as do STrich? and often a great deal more.”