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BUILDING THE NATION THROUGH WOMEN'S HEALTH: MODERN ...

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environments of Chinese children were often detrimental to their health. By going into mothers’<br />

homes on home visits (see Chapter Five) and tracking statistical information, the FNMS hoped to<br />

be able to lower the maternal and infant mortality rates and improve the health of mothers and<br />

infants nationwide. Based on office and home visitation rates, the mothers were resistant to this<br />

regimented schedule of examinations. Between November 1929 and June 1930, the service<br />

averaged only 3.7 visits per case. This did not change much over three years, for between July<br />

1930 and June 1931 the average number of visits was 3.4, and between July 1931 and June 1932<br />

the number was 3.7. 396 It rose slightly in 1933 to 4.0, 397 and by 1935 it was 4.41. 398 Between<br />

1932 and 1933, the FNMS tracked 1,598 confinement cases. Of these, the FNMS attended 1,057,<br />

other hospitals attended 89, other Western-trained physicians and midwives took care of 56, old-<br />

type midwives took care of 86, relatives or neighbors attended 115, and the rest were unknown<br />

because they moved. A substantial number of confinements was still attended by old-type<br />

midwives or relatives/neighbors (12.6 percent), and we can assume that at least some of the 195<br />

unknown cases had similar results. Of those initial 1,598 cases, the FNMS expected 11,111<br />

antenatal visits but actually saw only 5,410 of these (48.7 percent). 399<br />

Numerous visitors came to the school to observe the FNMS’s practices, such as the<br />

Beiping Woman’s Club, the Beiping Yi Yu Hui (Mother’s Club), postgraduate medical students<br />

from PUMC’s OB/GYN department and Beiping Health Demonstration Station, students from<br />

Yenching University’s Sociology Department, local high school students, and even students<br />

from the Shaanxi Police Training School. Marion Yang assisted these and other organizations in<br />

building and creating their maternal and child health programs. As head of the First National<br />

396 "Fourth Annual Report, FNMS."<br />

397 "Fifth Annual Report, FNMS."<br />

398 "Sixth Annual Report, FNMS," 9.<br />

399 "Fifth Annual Report, FNMS."<br />

159

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