Show BETTER BABIES BETTER MOTHERS BETTER BRIGHAM the census bureau estimates that on an average one in eight of ail the bables babies born in the united states die before they are twelve months old bid 1 acut ut this average does not tell the whole story tor for more babies dio die in ia some districts than in others and such an average may mean that in some soma groups ono one in three of all the babies die arid and in others only one in 1 I 1 I 1 the childrens bureau in the coursel course 1 of its intensive study of infant mortality I 1 in selected typical american communities has round found within one community an ail infant death rate varying in the different wards from one baby in twenty to about one in four in the light of such facts baby week may well assume a new import ance in our eyes baby week alms to show the community what it owes to all its infant citizens in the way of suitable livin living conditions and to show all the mothers of the country that there Is a science of baby care the modern modem movement for saving babies lives is of recent origin in all countries prance took the lead fifty years ago in organizing community work tor for infant welfare with first a society for instructing mothers and encouraging maternal nursing arid and ten years later another society providing special care for the expectant mother the infant welfare station was a later development for which france again deserves the credit dr emmet holt lins has spoken of the infant welfare station established lif jr budin in paris in 1892 and the milk depot established two years later by dufour as really marking the beginning of the modern movement for the reduction of infant mortality they have over tile the civilized world and have proved to be when properly conducted one of the most effective agencies it not the most effective agency known for the reduction of infant mortality infant mortality as a problem of national importance was discussed in this country as early as 1871 at a meeting of the social science association in philadelphia but bul the awakening of f the public to the urgency of the problem and the organizing of a national association to reduce the death rate among babies dates only from within tile the last ten years when the federal childrens bureau wal created in 1912 infant mortality hrad ed the list of the problems it was directed to investigate and report systematic all yeji yea i around infant welfare work in new york city Is only fourteen years old but these years have been marked by a steady reduction of the babies death rate in that city similar results may us be looked for from similar work in adv community for it is generally agreed tat tl at at least half of all infant deaths are preventable |