MAORI INFANTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 118, 22 May 1939, Page 11

MAORI INFANTS

PLUNKET BRANCH'S

CONCERN

(By Telegraph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.")

NEW PLYMOUTH, May 20,

Ante-natal and post-natal care for Maori mothers was a provision essential to a reduction of the appallingly high infant mortality rate among the Natives, declared Mrs. J. A. Stevenson, president of the Opunake branch of the Plunket Society, at the annual meeting. Members would, be failing to observe their responsibilities as supporters of the Plunket system if they did not direct their attention and draw the notice of the authorities to the conditions now existing, she said, and every endeavour should be made to ensure that Maori mothers received the same care and treatment as was available to Europeans.

Mrs. Stevenson's remarks were supported by the Mayor of Opunake, Mr. A. J. Brennan, and Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., who said that the need for attention to this problem was urgent and vital. If some success could be achieved as a result of the efforts made by the Opunake branch it would earn the gratitude of the whole country. It might be possible to secure the active interest of Maori mothers by appointing members of their race to positions on the committee.

Much the most desirable feature of the Plunket system, natural feeding, was defeated by the Maoris through their custom of the adoption of children from birth to be reared by foster mothers, said Mrs. S. R. Wright. Cow's milk, or if that was not available, a tinned product was used in their feeding and in the latter case the root cause of the high death-rate was perhaps to be found.