The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The Health Bulletin Muij, 7.92-
foodiiif: of the infant whore the breast
milk is not sutHciont for the baby's
needs : but when such is the case the
attendintr pliysician can easily advise
the formula to use and also advise
how to use it with safety to the baby.
There has been very little material
progress made in lowering the infant
death rate in North Carolina, notwithstanding
educational efforts of the
State Board of Health and various
county and city boards of health have
been majoring in this direction for
many years. The State Board of
Health, in cooperation financially with
funds procured through the Sheppard-
Towner law and dispersed through the
Children's Bureau at Washington, has
been spending many thousands of dollars
per year for a number of years,
but as yet scarcely an impression has
been made toward a substantial reduction
in the infant death rate. This fact
should serve to convince all of us that
the chief need is that the facilities
known to protect and save the babies
during the first two years of life must
be available for all of the mothers in
the State, especially the poorest. By
facilities we mean a knowledge of how
to avoid mistakes in feeding, clothing,
and caring for babies from the moment
of birth and the wdll and power to apply
practically such knowledge. This
means the necessity for state-wide education,
teaching hy example as well as
theory, and the teaching must be driven
home fo the remotest corners of the
State, and will probably take at least a
generation to make much progress.
As just said, notwithstanding all the
efforts directed at a reduction of infant
mortality, the death rate still remains
high. There is however evidence on
every hand that progress is being made.
Even a reduction of one per cent means
a great deal and if so much can be
accomplished each year, hundreds of
babies' lives will be saved annually
as a result of such efforts. The very
fact that during the strenuous period
of the last few years since the close
of the war that the rate has not
mounted any higher than it has is
evidence of some progress. The great
problem to be considered is the problem
of the mother who wants to do everything
humanly possible for her baby
and yet does not know how and what
to do. But that is anotlier story which
we will discuss elsewhere in this issue.
This army of new citizens are the
best in the land for us. They are our
own flesh and blood. Tliey are to grow
up steeped in our traditions and to
carry on the progress of the State ac-
A SUNSHINE BOY
Nine months old sunshine boy,
playmate of the robins and blue
birds in Anderson Heights, Raleigh.
His father is a university gi'aduate,
and member of the State Highway
Engineering force. As you can see
for yourself his motlier simply knows
how to care for a baby. About twenty
years from now he will undoubtedly
be carrying the ball to Charlottesville.
cording to the opportunity we give
them. That is those who escape falling
in the "Babies' Battle" of the first two
or three years will later on be in responsible
charge of affairs. If we fail
in our duty to them and carelessly allow
fifty to seventy-five out of each
thousand born to die before they are