NEW ZEALAND LEADS THE WORLD IN THEIR INFANT WELFARE WORK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 163, 28 July 1937, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND LEADS THE WORLD IN THEIR INFANT WELFARE WORK

Very interesting details of niothercraft work overseas were given by Miss N. P. FitzGibbon, of Dunedin, in her talk to the delegates at the provincial conference of the Plunket Society which was held in Hastings yesterday. Miss FitzGibbon was sent to Canada to set up an exhibit on behalf of the Plunket Society at the Canadian National Exhibition which is held annually in Toronto and is the largest annual exhibition of its kiud in the world. Mr Gollins, the Trade Gommissioner in Canada, who was alalways looking for fresh exhibits for tlie New ZeaJand court he suggested that the Plunket Society would stage one last year. iMiss Fitzgibbon said that 'she was very pleased to be chosen to be in charge of the exhibit and was anxious to help to stimulate the interest in Plunket work in Toronto. "As we were given. a space 10 feet by 35 feet I realised tliat we would need to have much material prepared. to fill this space," said the speaker. "I set about collecting photos of babies from the various .New Zealand Plunket centres and Karitane Hospitals, and posters were made demonstratiag) the society's teaebings, ante-natal cave and post-natal care up to the school age for the child. The aims and objects of the society were set out on the posters and also information about the Plunket Sdciety which is contained in the various books. We had to be careful always to use the word 'mothercraft' instead of Plunket work because the Canadian people do not call their work Plunket work. ltelief maps showing the distribution of the Plunket centres in New Zealand were made and also a six-foot model of one of the Plunket rooms wjth miniature furniture exactly as it was in tho real rooms with tiny dolls to be the babies, mothers and nurses. On posters was explained the typical Plunket building and also that theso were all built with funds raised by vuluntary efl'ort^ a fact which greatly impressed the Canadian people. * "Mrs Wyn Williams, of Auckland, in return for the help which she had ieceived from the Plunket Society, painted about 20 child studies demoostrating the Plunket babies and ihese created great interest. The Canadian mothercraft nurses and eouncil provided additional material to enable us to set up our stall exactly like a Plunket room." - Annual Exhibition. Miss FitzGibbon said that the general Iay-out of the exhibition was very like that of the New' Zealand and

South Seas Exhibition held in New Zealand and each country had a court, the Plunket stall being arranged in the New Zealand court, which was in the Goverument Building, one of the permanent buildings that the exhibition has. There were many permanent buildings because the exhibition oecupies 350 acres and has been held annually for over 50 years. The various exhibits in the Goverument Building were opened the evening preViously to the jnain exhibition by Mr Malcolm MaoDonald, who spoke most impressivoly for about 20 minutes from London. "During the exhibition we were kc-pt very busy," continued Miss FitzGibbon, "and it was estimated that about 100,000 people visited the exhibition daily from all parbs of Canada and the ! United States. It was necessary to have two, people always in attenuance at the stall 'and four in the aiternoons and evenirigs. Our visitors wero very varied, parents, public health workers social workers, nurses and doctors, many from iar afield. rThe t»emand for literature to take home to explain the work was very great and our exhibit received much publicity, which resulted in many visitors. "After the exhibition was over I had an opportunity of seeing the publio health work iu and around '^oronto , The health authorities showed me their hospitals and their work and were always very interestcd to hear about the Plunket work in ISeW Zealand. 1 visited the lni'ant Weli'are Centre and hstened to the advice given by the nurses and doctors to those who attended the clinic. A great many patients are seeu, as many as 200 in two hours and this number could never be dealt with without the help of the voluntary workers which they had.'' The speaker said that she was able to look round the publio hospitals which have also private wards, and tha majority were weli litted up with every oonvenience and comi'ort. After ilr.ishing up at Toronto a visit was paid to Detroit to see a very good nursery scliool where jJarents .and students were permitted to watch the children at their play and thus to learn inuch about their mtuiagement. New York Health Work. , "New York interested me greatly l'roui a hcaitk pomt of view'and here tiie nurses po a wide range of work,. aiie maternity centre iiu lNew York has a national education programme #or which they pay a journaiist to writo' articies ior tne Press. The nurses give Ldeas and he presents them in popuiar lorrn and the people eonsider that much good and vaiuaoie teaching is done Lurough these articies. Tne infanfc weli'are centre was much the same as in Canada but here again the nurses do generalised work and .do not con'centrate on onq special branch. Tho nurses' training varies in the dih'erent bospitals but in the New York Presbyterian Hospital a nurse, who is a university graduate, trains for two years and three months while b'ne who nas only a high school education takes three years." Miss FitzGibbon. travolled by air. from New York tu Washington, as tlm manner of travelling took only 80 minutes against eignt koura on the train. When later in Montrealj sho visited the Sick Children 's Hospital and the general hospital and was able to glean much iuteresting information. about the care of the children in theso parts. After her vosit to Canada and U.S.A. Miss FitzGibbon went on to England where she flrot visited Cromwell House, the centre of the Plunket work in hngland. She found that the work had grovvn enormously and that its iniiuonce had spread to many other coxmtries. Among the students at Cromwell House were girls from Nigeria, India, C'hina, Palestine, Canada and many other parts. 1 "In England there are about 3,000 infant welfare centres," continued Miss FitzGibbon, "and' about 2,500 are carried on by the local authorities subsidised by the local councils though many of them commenced as voluntary crganisations. There are still about 500 voluntary centres and in these there seemed to be a greater enthusiasm. The centres do -much work in providing food for the expeetant mother and the little children. "During my travels I also visited health centres -in France, where only the poorer people seem to avail themselves of the clinics, and also in Italy, > but owing to it being Christmas week E could not see the clinics here, but 1 was told that much is being done to help the mothers and their babies. While in England I was able to visit child guidance clinics where children who have any faults are carefully watched by higkly-trained workers who try to help tho children." N.Z. Work Good. Miss FitzGibbon said that she supposed many people were anxious to hear what she felt about all that she had scen. She said that her travels had made her realise that the work in New Zealand was very good indeed, being well established with a uniform system throughout the country which she considered was the strongest plank on the platform. She thought that it was most important to have the same teaching throughout the country so that mothers who inoved to other towns could still continue with the advice obtainable at the Plunket centre at whiehever town they were in. She said that it was not right for people to become complaceut aboot the worls because it could still be iinproved and new mothers were always coming along. Miss FitzGibbon urged that the mothers be tauglit to realise that i'lunket supervision skould not ond when the child reached the age of 18 months or a year, but should 'be especiallv watched uutil it reached school age. More aute-natal care was also most necessary and the teaching

oi moLhercralt xn tho schoois wouJu ]_ave the way for thia. "New Zealand, with the interest, energy, and enthusiasm which is de- \ uted to the Plunket Society dellnitely leada the world in infant welfare work," said Miss FitzGibbon in eonciusion. A deiicious afternoon tea arranged by Mesdames W. A. Whitlock, G. A. Maddison, T. A. Hill and F. J. Hull, was enjoyed by everyone. Mrs James Begg, of Dunedin, the president of the Notv Zealand Plunket Society, on behalf of all the delegates, thanked the Hastings members for their kindness and hospitality during the conference. The Delegates. The delegates present were: Gisborne, Mesdames J. Blair, J. O. Musgrave aua H. D. Chrisp ; 'Wairoa, Miss 4 Mcliae; Waipukurau, Mesdames J. D. Ormond, Huntly Walker, B. J. MaeCormick and W. Oiiambersj Waipawa, Mrs Spicer and Mrs Preston- Otane out-branck, Mrs Warren and Mrs Olark; Dannevirke, Mrs Hendy and Mrs Smitli; Pahiatua, Mesdames H. Pattison, J. D. Wilson and W. 'H. Purdie; Napier, Mesdames T. M. Geddis, Hector Smith, W. J. Goddds, L. McCiurg, H. Tonkin, II. H. Wyiie, R. M. (Jhadwick, E. Stewart, H. MeDougall, McNeece, Forsythe, W. D. FitzGerald and H. .E. Troutbeek. The Hastings delegates were Mesdames H. Glazebrook and Cecil Bates and among the other Hastings committee members wero Miss Elsio Williams, the president, Mesdames A. It. Greenwood, W. A. Whitlock, G. A. Maddison, Rice, Noel Beamish, H. Holderness, James JLyons, Yyner, Stubbs, J. Leggat, Enc Nelson, A. D. 8. Whyte, J. B. Pickering, F. J. Hull, R. Sunderland, T. A. Hill, Anderson and Miss Keitk and Mr E. V". Simpson, the treasurer. Also present were Mrs James Begg, Dominion president uf the Plunket Society, Miss G. Hoddinott, Dominion secretary, Miss N. P. FitzGibbon, nursing adviser, and Dr. Martin Tweed, medical adviser.