CHILD WELFARE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26846, 10 August 1948, Page 6

CHILD WELFARE

CONDITIONS OVERSEAS DR DEEM’S OBSERVATIONS After spending nearly a year in the United States, Britain and Scandinavia studying children’s health services, Dr Helen Deem, medical adviser to the Plunket Society, told the annual meeting of the Dunedin branch yesterday that the methods adopted in New Zealand for child welfare under the society compared favourably with any in the countries she had visited. She emphasised that in each of those countries much had been accomplished by voluntary effort, which had always played an Important part in the development of any democracy. Dr Deem represented New Zealand at the International Paediatric Congress which was held in New York in July, 1947, and attended by over 2000 delegates from all countries. In New York it was heartening to see that the emphasis had been on the promotion and maintenance of child health rather the study of children’s diseases, as had beer, the case in the past. While on her tour she had always been particularly careful to see which section of the community was served by the health services. In the United States a large proportion of mothers and babies was not eligible or able to obtain, this care, two-thirds of country children’ ar.d one-quarter of the children in small cities. Only 21 per cent, of babies were entitled to the child care in New York because of the means test, but in Scandinavia the service was free to all. In New Zealand, however, 81 per cent, of mothers took their babies to the Plunket rooms. “Our system of frequent visits in the early weeks of the baby’s life is a very good one. It instills confidence in the young mother of her own ability, which results in a happy family group. The Institution of a means test, as is at present carried out in America, would be considered an outrage in New Zealand.”

Much more home visiting was carried out in New Zealand than in the other countries, and there was far less of an office atmosphere in the Plunket rooms here. In Oslo, for example, all the rooms used were attached to churches, and the babies were only taken there every three months. Group pre-natal mothercraft training was functioning in the United States, Scandinavia, Canada and Britain, and was proving so popular that in some instances waiting;lists had to be established. This pre-natal mothercraft training would be of great value in New Zealand. She looked forward to the time when such a mothercraft scheme would be universal in New Zealand. Special Foods Provided Britain was doing a magnificent job tor the mothers and babies, she continued, and as far as food was concerned they were regarded as top priority, being specially provided with protective foods - such as milk, cod liver oil, and orange juice. It was sometimes true, as she had read in the newspapers, that some parents did not avail themselves of these • foods when the child grew older, but nearly all the mothers of young children took their ration. „ . , •* infant mortality has declined In a spectacular manner In all civilised countries, and last year the figures for New Zealand were the lowest ever recorded," concluded Dr Deem. “ Child-welfare authorities have now shifted their emphasis from the saving. of Infant life to the promotion of a state of optimum wellbeing among the survivors, the aim being * to produce healthy, happy and contented adults, who are physically and emotionally fit for the great adventure of living.”