OUR BABIES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14705, 4 June 1920, Page 1

OUR BABIES.

(By Hggeia.) Published under tie auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for. the Health of Women aud~Children. "It is wiser to put up a felice at the. top of a: precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the'bottom."

1 DR TRUBY KING'S ADDRESS. (Continued.) THE FALLING BIRTH RATE. Dr King referred to the falling birth . rate of the Empire.- This occurred hero on similar lines to those traced in England, though in comparison with her we were doing well. . ■■■<■ ■> - The most important part of the' Society's work was.the graining ot mothers ■in their home duties—especially the nurture of their children; the training of mothers who-, in turn, would act as' ■ unselfish - teachters themselves, spreading what they had learned far and wide. This diffusion of simple, safe, sound authoritative domestic knowledge on matters affecting the health and vigor of the race was not only to the- advantage "of the babies born, but also gave the best prospect of increasing the size. pf families by rendering the rearing of children as simple as possible, and making the home life agreeable and inspiring. The great for the AngloSaxon race was (large ..and .healthy.iamilies"; it had been well -said .by' Judge Chapman ■■ that- New Zealand is the natural nursery of our race in the Pacific. —Some Startling Figures.Nothing could be more startling, the doctor proceeded, than the-investiga-tion .he-'had niade with regard to the birth" rates of the different nationalities within the United States: Picking out: families; that numbered five or more: children it- was found that out of 100 marriages among - peop.le of the United States stock there were but tune or ten that produced families of this size: in the case of the Scotch and English families in the States the rate was under 20 per cent; in the case of French, German, and Italian residents there it was over 30 per cent; and in the case of Russians and Poles, living in ! America, large families were fcfund in the proportion of from 50 per cent, to 60 per cent. No on© could overlook the enormous significance of these figures. Dr King described the diminishing birth rate of Scotland, as a very grave portent, and England and the colonies were not much better; he insisted that the most earnest thought and attention should be devoted to overcoming a tendency so .ominous to-the Anglo-Saxon race. In the Hawaiian Islands (the centre of the Pacific, where the West and Eastmeet on common ground) the total population was about 220,000 —made up of all nationalities. There were 85.000 Japanese, and they actually provided 53 out of every 100 babies born in these islands. He was speaking of over two years ago, and the excessive proportion of Japanese births had greatly inereas-.. Ed since then. TRAINING IN HOME SCIENCE. With regard to America, he continued, nothing.lieariiia; collaterally on the Plunket Society's work impressed ' him as of more importance than the sensible training given in their best Schools of Domestic Science, from the standpoint, of practical utility. They enabled their graduates to do great practical services to the community, while earning good livings for themselves as organisers and directors of copking, catering and the whole dietetic provisioning of hospitals, hostels, restaurants, etc. He was particularly struck with their admirable catering in hospitals. Domestic science graduates were paid from £4OO to £6OO ' a year, or .more, as hospital dieticians, which included teaching the nurses. Work of this kind would give congenial occupation to a considerable number of girls in New Zealand, and would confer a great boon on hospital patients, and, indeed, on the whole community —besides , preventing a great deal of waste". —The Need to Know About Babies — Another aspect oi domestic science which ought to be properly provided for was real, practical experience and [ training in regard to ,1:lie everyday needs of mother and child. This could not bo learnt from mere books or lectures. If young women spent three years at a university in obtaining their domestic science degree, they should surely devote three months of that time to tlie care and tending of mother and child in an institution such as the Karitane Hospital. —The Teach ins of Doctors. With regard to an equally significant question, he was struck by the importance atached in America to the teaching of pediatrics. Throughout ali the great universities of America one of the mosst important medical, chairs was that of pediatrics. This was not so in England or New Zealand. We had not made dealing with infants a serious part of the work of our students; but all over the world in the next few years professors of pediatrics—"The study of the nature, care, rearing and treatment of infants and young children"— would be insisted on in every medical school. In conclusion. Dr King briefly touched upon the condition of children in England, France, and Italy ; and in Austrian and Poland, whose children had been chronically starved through the Great War.