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Show M JOHN BULL PAYS 'FOR HEALTHY BABIES John Bull believe that healthy babies make strong men and is willing to pay for them. In 1918 grants made by the national na-tional overnment in support of infant welfare work in England and Wales amounted am-ounted to about $1,150,000, which represents repre-sents one half of approved expenditure for welfare centers, "health visitors' maternity care and similar work for mothers and children. The number of health centers increased increas-ed from 850 in 1917 to 1550 in June, 1919, over one half of them supported entirely by public funds. Attendance at the centers cen-ters has also shown a phenomenal increase. in-crease. One center in Gloucester, which in 1918 reeived 263 expectant mothers, had 932 on its rolls in 1919. As a result it is thought, of public protection pro-tection of maternity and infancy, the infant in-fant mortality rate for England and Wales for 1918 is 94. The 1918 infant mortality rate for the U. S. birth registration area, just published, pub-lished, is 101, 7 points higher than the rate fqr the preceding year. Children's bureau investigations have shown tliat Uncle Sam's babies die because be-cause they and their mothers do not have skilled care. Until such care is made available, avail-able, as in England, for all women in all parts of the country, regardless of economic econ-omic standing, no great decline in the infant in-fant mortality rate may be expected. |
