SAVING THE BABY.
In these days when one hears so much about '.he declining birth-rate and the gloomy conclusions and alarming deductions drawn from the failure to maintain a natural increase in population — a potent factor in national development — it is all the more necessary that every effort should be made towards infant preservation. It is pleasing therefoi'3 to know that the efforts which have been made of recent years to educate New Zealand mothers to a proper sense of their duties is meeting with success. Last year 97 out of every 1000 male children and 80 out of every 1000 female children bora in the Dominion died before attaining the age of one year, as against 104 and 87 three years ago. This is an improvement, but why should even 80, or for the matter of that 10 out of every 1000 babies die? Not even 10 would succumb if the health laws were properly observed and if there was less attention paid to the dictates of convenience and fashion. The formation or Societies throughout New Zealand for the Protection of Women and Children is a forward movement which deserves every encouragement, and we hope the day is not far distant when every town and hamlet in the Dominion will possess a branch of this useful organisation. When this has been accomplished, and when our educational authorities will throw off the veil of false modesty and include in the curriculum of work for the elder girls instruction in the duties that they will sooner or later be called upon to perform, then and not till then will the baby be saved from the murderous treatment to which it is too often subjected through sheer ignorance. Up till quite recently Germany afforded a shocking illustration of infant neglect, and now it sets a splendid example in infant preservation. Up to 1905 tiie German death-rate was appalling, but since that year a united effort in the direction of infant preservation has been made by the State and municipal authorities and by private associations of philanthropic persons. Roughly speaking about 2,000,000 infants are horn annually in Germany, of whom, prior to 1905, over 400,000,000 died under the age of 12 months. This appalling mortality aroused the attention of the Government, and the Kaiser himself took a prominent part in the crusade against the conditions which promoted the slaughter of the innocents. Hence a whole network of organisations, such as infants' dispensaries, where free milk is supplied to necessitous mothers, public creches, nurseries, and associations formed
lot improving the housing conditions and ihe musing and feeding of infants. ha<be- n spread over the land. At Munich, a lood depot has even been established by the municipality, at which any woman who ceilifies her need by bringing with her a young infant, can have a free meal every noon. The result of all this organised care of infant life has already been seen in a marked decrease in the infantile mortality. For instance, at the Charlottenbnrg establishment alone, where over 2000 infants are treated annually, the 'death-rate of infants under one year has dropped from 8.4 per cent, to 2.9 per cent. It is estimated that Germany gains in population to the extent of 140,000 annually by the remedial measures that have been adopted. So important is the question of infant life preservation now recognised in the Fatherland, that the Government has been recommended to expend £6.750,000 per annum in subsidising mothers of the indus- < rial class for six weeks preceding and six weeks following confinement, and- also by cash preiriums amounting to £2 10s at tl-c end of the infant's first year, on the ground that if this plan were carried out. 80 per cent, of the present infantile mortality would be saved and 20,000 additional efficient men would be available for the army annually. If Germany recognises the question of infant life preservation of such national importance, and takes such pains to promote the development of the nation, surely it behoves Anglo-Saxondoin to do likewise. New Zealand has shown the lead in many progressive movements, but it may well follow the example of othei countries in regard to intant life preservation.
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Bibliographic details
Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12703, 24 February 1909, Page 4
Word Count
699SAVING THE BABY. Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12703, 24 February 1909, Page 4
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