Show he health a ath cha chats t s fighting syphilis A 11 daily jab we have recently seen the passing of the third national social hygiene day february 1 this should not mean howl however ver that we only fight syphilis but one day out of the year spring cleanups are of value in a city such as ours but much more would be accomplished if our refuse and garbage were collected regularly regu laxly throughout the year so it is with our fight against syphilis to accomplish worth while results in this war we must not limit our fighting f i to one day a year syphilis is a disease of particular importance in relation to the health of our expectant mothers and their babies guided by the family physician or advised by official or voluntary health organizations izat ions many e expectant mothers are carefully fo lowing regimens regimes regi mens of diet exercise and behavior to build and protect the health of the life they carry yet thousands upon thousands of prospective mothers do not know that unless they have had a blood test during their early months of pregnancy an unseen and unsuspected tragedy may be menacing their unborn children congenital disease this tragedy is congenital syphilis syphilis nilis contracted before birth transmitted to the child in the mothers womb each year babies in our country are born with syphilis thousands die within a few weeks of birth those thosa who survive infancy may suffer e r from any of the consequences of syphilis including blindness insanity and serious deformities congenital syphilis is tie finitely and almost wholly preventable and can be wiped out in one generation if every prospective mother will W I 1 ll 11 cooperate this cooper cooperation aLlUn requires that every woman have a blood test early in pregnancy no expectant mother should let false shame deter her front from this test for anyone can have syphilis unknowingly blood test A simple blood test examination of specimens of the mothers blood which would always be included in the examination of a pregnant woman may show only that she is run down anemic it may show however that in her blood are tile the insidious effects of a syphilis infection which if she is not promptly treated threaten the health and may cost the life are carefully following regimens regimes regi mens of the mother is begun before the middle of pregnancy and continued until delivery a mother with syphilis can almost always bear a healthy non syphilitic baby every woman the moment she suspects pregnancy should at once consult h her r physician some seme physicians hesitate to make a blood test in private pregnancy cases for fear of offending their patients but what expectant mother molher rl realizing its importance would refuse either cither test or treatment to make sure her child would I 1 be born free of disease what i mother would not demand it when every prospective mother is given a blood test early in pre pregnancy and when all such mothers mothe r s who have syphilis are treated early and adequately congenital syphilis will be wiped out |