OUR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4711, 8 November 1917, Page 3

OUR BABIES.

(By “Hygela.'O

Publishod under the auspices of the Royal Now Zoaland Society for tho Health of Women and Children.

"It is wiser to put up a fence at tho top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom."

V&AVE THE BABIES” WEEK

“The Race marches forward on the feet of Little Children.”

Are you a patriot? Do you want your nation to survive? Are you determined that never again shall there be 50 per cent, of possible rejects in our community? If so, study and ponder the following fact's:— 1 ’ , OUR FIRST HANDICAP.

What with the unborn and the prematures, New Zealand is very greatly handicapped in the race for life arid population. Prematurity accounts for over a third of our Infantile Mortality. Even the babies horn at full term are not mostly as strong and vigorous as they should beb, owing to lack of open-air exercise, etc., on the part of the mothers. The mother’s health is the baby’s health. The gravest diseases of the day are not the Cancer or Consumption, but the universal decay of weak,, and badly-built teeth, which undermines the whole system, and predisposes to all diseases. OUR BEST IMMIGRANTS.

In the next ten years nearly 300,000 certainly over a quarter of a million) children will Jbe born in New Zealand. Almost every new-born babe is capable of living and doing well if properly treated;.-but, owing to ignorance and neglect of health and proper . attention, the majority of our babies add mothers are not nearly as strong and well as they should be. Many babies still suffer from easily-avoidable diarrhoea and malnutrition, which handicaps them for the rest of life, and some 1500 die every year. As tbe New Zealand Baby Deathrate was reduced 2i per cent, in the seven years 1907-14. should we not aim at another. 2£ per cent, reduction halving the present rate— in the next 14 years? Whv not—we can if we will l

Our infantile Death-rate could be much further reduced by the proper education of school-girls in Mothercraft, and by simple, practical instruction of the mothers in their homes and elsewhere by means of thoroughly competent and specially-trained nurses. Women ought to be taught in a simple, practical, convincing way the laws, and needs of life in respect to fresh air, suitable, food, regular exercise, clothing, etc. ASSETS V. LIABILITIES. Every healthy young adult is worth over £3OO to the country. Every unhealthy wastrel and dependent who has to be kept by the public, is a liability instead of being an-asset. There are, for instance, at the present moment many insane persons and other unfortunates who have cost the Dominion from £SOO to £IOOO each in maintenance. Hospital (public and private) will soon be costing us directly abcut £l- - (a million sterling) a year, to say nothing of the enormous loss entailed by chronic debility and the withdrawal of nurses and invalids from spheres of work which would give a return to the country. Wo want to prevent our normal assets from continuing to he converted through ignorance and neglect into grave liabilities. The sic-kness and debility of babies is due to mereJgnqranco and carelessness: rarely to intentional neglect or' cruelty. ILL-HEALTH LIFE’S MAIN HAN-

DICAP. The main cause of submergence and failure in the battle of life is _ illhealth Our expenditure on hospitals and charitable aid will keep on growing as long as we continue rearing and educating the race in ignorance, and indeed -in defiance, of the primary laws of Nature. . We must become more sensible, normal, and healthy in our habits; we must get back nearer to Nature ; we must avail ourselves more and more fully of ascertained knowledge as to the simple,' beneficent, easily understandable, easily followed laws of healthy living. o If man would but make use of what is known of human bemgs. as be is making use of similar knowledge m the perfecting of plants and animals, there would he no ground for setting up further Commissions to inquire into the causes underlying the tendency to deterioration and unfitness on t.he part of civilised mankind —there would be no deterioration to worry about. With all our advantages in tho present day, the human race should he going ahead, not falling behind. Tlie first step in the line of progress must be a general recognition of the Duty of Health and the rights of the next generation, winch' we can best promote by firmly establishing the health of women and children.

WE GET WHAT WE DESERVE. Every country Ims just as many Unfortunates, Invalids, and Criminals as it deserves, no more! 111-health means unem ploy ableness; unemployableness means morbid thought and feeling; and morbid thought and feeling means Loafing. Vice, and Crime! We want- you to assist in tlie movement Jby attending some of the Lectures or Demonstrations which have been organised in your district— by hearing a “Baby Sunday” Sermon, by attending a Motbercraft Exhibition if available, and by generally taking nart in the arrangements for Baby Week.