SAVE THE BABIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1955, 22 March 1919, Page 3

SAVE THE BABIES.

WHAT THE PLUNKET NURSES ARE DOING. PalmerstonJKorth’ is a branch of 41ie Marton Centre of the Plimkct Nurse Society. Nurse Parlane visits Palmerston twice a week for the purpose of giving advice to mothers during the most critical period of their lives, and in respect to the care of babies, A meeting was held at Palmerston last Thursday to umthers, nuclei’ the auspices of the Plunkct Society, and it has been suggested that Fox ton should he included in the scope of operations. We understand that Mrs MeMurray is taking steps to this end, and we feel sure tiiat she will have (lie hacking of every mother in (he comiminit v.

A resume of (lie origin and growth

of the Plnnkel Nurse Society was given by Mrs Sladdon, president of the Marlon Centre. She statin! that from very small beginnings in .1905, the Society had progressed util now there were 30 centres, employing between them 45 Plunkct Nurses. Palmerston was at the present a suh-hranch of the "Marton Centre, but it was hoped very soon to see it develop until it was employing at least one nurse of its own. Miss Cook, an active worker of the Marton Centre, look as her subject an exposition of the objects of the Society. The principal object was to teach the duty of health, and especially to advocate and promote Hie best feeding of infants; further, to acquire accurate infonnatiTou on (he health of women and children during the most, critical stages of their career, and to disseminate the same; also to train specially nurses to give sound instruction to mothers. Passing on, Miss Cook emphasised that the cull of the Society was md a humanised-milk baby, as was ,-n often thought. The vast amount <>f hot tie-feeding that had been going on for the pas! geui ration had resulted in a very large amount of preventable illnesses and disability . This laid was visible in the face and physique of many of L (hose around them, -especially in the mailer of bad teeth, from which almost everybody sulTered. The Society felt timt so much bottle-feed-ing must be put a slop to. Incidentally, the speaker explained that (he Society did not undertake a doctor’s work or deal with disease. Its mission was health. Now Unit the war was over it was 1 lie time lor reformation and reform, for, as Mr Lloyd George bud truly remarked: ‘‘You can’t make an At nation out of a C 3 population.” THE HISTORY OF THE UNFIT. Tim addre.-s of the Plnnkel Nurse, Mis** Parlane, was of great practical help to mothers, ami it was listj cued to with considerable interest hv all those present. As establishing breast-feeding was the most important part of the Society s work, she had. she remarked, chosen it as

her subject fur thul day. The Society knew, utu! it wanted all mothers to realise, that owing to the general practice of artificial feeding our Ini hies, we, as a nation, were in danger of dying out. “I think,” eontinu-

od Miss Pavlane, “that it came ns a great shod; to most of us to learn when the war started, and that our voung men were wanted for military sewin', that 47 per cent, of (hem were physically unlit to defend their hoines, and on investigation we liml (hat a very large majority of these' untits have been weaklings at school, and even (lion unable to take part in games. Yet nearly every baby is born healthy. Apart from the enormous loss to the nation by those unfitted to lake their part in the world, we must lake into consideration the vast army of children who never grow up at ail. In HUG 28.50!! babies were horn in (his Dominion and 1.0,590 children under live years died, and no fewer than 1,500 of these were bodies under one year.” This, Miss Parlane proceeded to point out, could he prevented, lieenn.se those babies did not “die”; they were “killed” by longtube feeding apparatus, dummies and comforters, condensed milk, dried milks and patent foods, cows’ milk, water, and barley water, and owing to ignorance and neglect of health and proper attention. Every mother eoitld at least partly nurse her ha by if she tried. Most mothers could wholly nurse their habie.- for (he lirsl nine months. Any mother who brought a perfectly healthy baby into (lie world was (piile capable of nursing it. If breast-feed-ing were (irmly established throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion, they would hear of very few eases of summer diarrhoea, whieli complaint accounted for so many babies. Incidentally, the speaker pointed out that the suckling of the baby was almost as important for the future health of the mother ms 9 was ,or dev child. Cows’ milk was not as good for the babv as its mother’s milk, beeansci (ho milk of every mammal was designed expressly for the young who were to be nourished by it. Miss Pa rhino then gave a lot of detailed advice to mothers of a very valuable nature, and it was felt by all present that her address was an .important contribution to the Society’s work.