WELFARE OF INFANTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19419, 30 August 1926, Page 12

WELFARE OF INFANTS.

WORK IN AUSTRALIA. PROGRESS OF PLUNKET SYSTEM., In an address at the annual conference of the Society lor the Health of Wohienj ftcd Children in Melbourne recently, Di*> Argyle, Victorian Minister of Health," emphasised the necessity for the adequate training of midwives and lor a pure milk supply. He said that he had always advocated the pasteurisation of milk. The acting-president of the society, Dr. Charles Perry, in opening the conference, said that he ■ looked forward to the time when tlie Ministry would establish a training'school in mothercraft and pre-natal care. 1.."

, The annual report stated that new fulltime Plunket centres had been opened' at Swan Hill and Braybrook, and tho Williamstown centre had moved into new' quarters. In the year ended June 30 there had been 38,077 visits of adults and babies to centres in different parts -of the State, and 10,068 visits had been paid by Plunket nurses to homes. The number of new babies attended was 2252 and the mm ante-natal cases numbered 213. The Tweddle Hospital for Babies and School of Mothercraft had won the commendation of the medical profession, and the State Ministry had given a grant of £SOO.

Dr. Argyle referred to figures published by • the Commonwealth Statistician, Mr. Wick'ens, which showed that the rate' of infant mortality in Australia was the,, lowest ih the world with tho exception of New Zealand. All doctors who Had studied infantile diarrhoea wens £6rt<; vinced that it was spread mainly by the housstfly. Most deaths among infants occurred in the first month of life and 70 per cent, of the deaths within the first month Occurred! 'within* the first week after birth. There would not .be fflti&i chance of decreasing the number of deaths within ihat jjeried unless proper treatffleat was given 'ffiOnttls. before the infants were born. The deaths of infants'aged more than one month had decreased enormously. Dr. Marshall Allan, Who. was investigating, the causes of maternal and ififfifitlle mortality for the university under a grant made by-the Edward WilsOn (of the Argus) Tust, had told him, said Dr. Argyle, that the ignorance among SSfietidaies foF thS friidwifery Was appalling. He had been criticiSetV fbf calling for f6r a Miff;: tifiig medical officer to Supervise ihfaHfc. Welfare Work instead §J. a fulMime officer,' as recoWmetideti by Dfi Henrietta Main and Dr. Vera Scantiebtiry iii their report on the Welfare of Wqmefl tirlti child-'" fen. Apart from tnfi financial strihjfeney he Warlted W. prove to the (Jabifiet and to Pdrliaineht that the nJedicai officer could perfofiri u§efi}l Works s6 that he woiiid be justified in appointing a fulltlftie officer.

Dr. Al-Jryle said lie believed that the infant Welfare iVibVeiiijjrit wbiild bd exarid that the position regarding infantile and niaterrial mortality tvoiild be greatly improved. The Ministry proposed, to establish an examiriilijr b£>afd for parididatcM for mothercfaft cei'tlfleates ahd he hoped that - the medical officerj who Would be appointed li an e&t*ly d&M, would be a irifentb&r of the board.