OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2175, 13 June 1914, Page 13

OUR BABIES.

« — ( fBT HTfGEIA.I Published, under th© auspices of tho Sooicty for tho Health of Women and Children. » "It ia wiser to put up a fence at tho top df «. precipico than to maintain an ambulance at tho bottom." ✓ DUNEDIN ANNUAL REPORT. Last week tho Dunedin Society for the Health of Women and Children issued its soventh annual report, and w;o feel suro that some extracts from it will bo of interest to our readers. Further, wo trust that what is said may cause those who aro not already mem- • bers of tho society to join it and take a keen, active, helpful interest in this patriotic movement. • As many people still have a/very hazy idea of tho scope of tho society's mission, we quote the following from tho cover of tho report:— AIMS AND OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY. 1. To uphold tho sacredness of tho body and tho duty to health, to inculcate a'lofty view of tho responsibilities of maternity, and the duty of every mother to fit herself for the perfect fulfilment of the natural calls of mother-

hood, both beforo and aiter cliild-birth, and cspecial'y to advocato and promote the breast-feeding of infants. 2. To acquiro accurate information and knowledge 011 matters affecting tho health of women and children, and to disseminate such knowledgo through tho agency of its members, nurses, and others, by means of tho natural handing ok from one recipient- or beneficiary to another, and tho use of such agencies as periodical meetings at members' houses or elsewhere, demonstrations, lectures, correspondence, newspaper articles, pamphlets, books, etc.

3. To train specially, and to employ qualified nurses, to bo called Plunket uursos, whoso duty it will be to givo sound, reliable instruction, advice, and assistance, gratis, to any member of tho community desiring such services, 011 matters affecting tho health and wellbeing of women, especially during pregnancy and while nursing infants, and 011 matters affecting the liealth and wellbeing of the children; and also to endeavour to educate and hel[) parents and others'in a practical way in domestic hygiene in general—all these things beim; done with a view ,to conserving tho nealth and strength of tho rising generation, and rendering both mother and offspring hardy, healthy, and rcsistivo to disease.

4. To co-operate with any present or future organisations which aro working for any of tho foregoing or cognate objects.

N.B.—The society was started as a league for mutual helpfylness and ir.utual education, with a full recognition of the fact that, so far as motherhood .and babyhood were concerned, there was as much need for practical'reform and "going to school" on tho part of the cultured and well-to-do as tliero was on tho part of the so-called' "poor and ignorant." EXPANSION OF THE SOCIETY. The Society for the Health of Women and Children mv consists of 72 separate and independent, but federated, branches, each administering its own funds aiid issuing its own annual report and balance sheet. . The great majority of tho branches have come int-o existenco during tho last two years. Excellent work has been done by the now' committees, and it is extremely gratifying to record that no fewer than 13 of these have established Plunket nurses, most of them in the course of tho last'year. As nearly all the new nurses travel to associated branches in other townships, one nurso serves for a number of committees, thus effecting great economy. It will tako a considerable time before all tho smaller branches can bo regularly visited; but, meanwhile we find that committees in tho more out-of-the-way places are quietly working away, gathering funds for use in the near future, distributing literature,!and generally leavening the communities for tho furtherance of the society's health mission.

There are at present 27 Plunket nurses at work throughout the Dominion. Next year tho Central Committee intend to collato the society's records and statistics of work done, etc., for the whole of tho branches, and will embrace summaries of these jji the annual report. Meanwhile wo think it will be' a matter of general interest to give some c-xtracts from the annual report and balance-sheet of one of tho smaller or affiliated branches, which does not support ' a residential nurse, but receives weekly visits from a larger centre about 35 miles distant. Wo select the Marton report, as the first of this class that has come to hand. EXTRACTS FROM REPORT OF MARTON BRANCH. "Since February, 1913, tho Wanganui Plunket nurso has visited Marton each Tuesday. The morning is taken up in going to the houses where the mother or the doctor has requested her help; tho afternoon is spent at the office, when babies already on the books are brought for inspection and weighing, or new cases are brought for tho first time. Tho i'lunket nurse is glad to seo at her offico anyone who is interested in the society's work; and many visitors, other than mothers with babies under care, have availed themselves of Tuesday afternoon to visit llio nurse. "Tho expenses of our .branch began in October, 1012, when tho Plunket nurse for Wanganui entered on her special training at tho Society's Baby Hospital, Dunedin. . . . The committee feels

that it is fortunate in securing the services of a nurse of wide experience, who came with the best credentials, and is doing excellent work in Marton. "The number of cases under care (luring the period from mid-February, 1913, to March 31, 1914, has been 61. The number of visits paid by tho l'lunkct nurso ta homes has been 330, while tho of visits paid by mothers 'to tho office has been 114. ... A proper comparison of tho number of mothers and babies helped and' the expenditure incurred cannot yet bo made, for though tho committee feels sure you will consider these highly satisfactory in the present report and balance-sheet, it • must bo borne in mind that expenses necessarily began somo months before actual work, and also that expenses for. office outfit arc non-recurrijig; so that the cost per baby would bo still lower in succeeding years. It must also be remembered that many babies receive tho benefit of the society's work Without appearing on its books, through mothers, members of committee, and Others who have learnt from tho Plunket nurso as well as through the literature distributed by each branch and the official weekly 'Our Babies' newspaper column.

"That the society is able to darry on its work at such a low rate is due, in a large measure, to the action of tho Government in granting annual subsidies of 245. per £ up to £100 of voluntary subscriptions towards the expenses of each Plunket nurse, and in undertaking to pay her railway faro while travelling on duty. This has enabled the Wanganui committee to make tho charge for tho day a week 65., and tho committee feels suro you will regard this as a very satisfactory arrangement.

"No charge is made for the visits of the Plunket nurse; but,. wherever possible. mothers who have been benefited are induced to become subscribers. For the rest of its income the society is dependent on public subscriptions." Tho balance-sheet shows that in eighteen months tho Marton branch received in voluntary subscriptions soma £44 10s., that of this sum £7 10s. was expended on office furnishings, a weigh-ing-machine, and a baby outfit, some £20 was paid to the Wanganui branch for tho nurse's visits, and they had still a credit balance of about £12. It will be noted that tho nurse has been at work for only a little moro than year, and during that time she has paid 330 visits to homes, while tho mothers have paid 114 visits to the offlCC—all, <144 visits. The cost works out at less than Is. a visit computed on the £20 .contribution to the AVanganui branch for t' lß nurse's services. However, as the Marton reports says, "Many babies receive the benefit of the society's work without appearing on its books." Indeed, it cannot be too strongly emphasised that a mutual "Educational Health Mission" of this kind a large proportion .of what is achieved is entirely independent of paid services, knowledge being handed on, and willing help bping given by numbers of the society and grateful mothers, not to mention the influence of weekly articles in the local newspapers, and the dissemination of the society's books.