316 AFFILIATED SOCIETIES 



MILK AND BABY HYGIENE ASSOCIATION, Boston 



The objects of the Milk and Baby Hygiene Association, of Boston, 

 are to improve the general milk supply, to encourage breast feeding, 

 to provide milk properly modified for babies who cannot be nursed, 

 to furnish advice and training in hygiene and care of babies. 



Education of mothers in infant hygiene is undertaken in three 

 ways: First of all, by the visits of graduate and specially trained 

 nurses to homes. These visits are made not only to those who are 

 referred to us by physicians and others, but we are now making 

 one visit to the home of every child born in the wards in the con- 

 gested part of the city. If the mother welcomes the nurse and seems 

 to need further visits, they are made. The second method adopted 

 is by organization of the mothers into twelve conference classes of 

 20 to 60 members each. These classes are met by the volunteer 

 physicians and by the nurses. At the large classes we have an 

 assistant who keeps the mothers interested and in order and who 

 does the actual weighing of the child, thus freeing the nurse to talk 

 with the doctor and mother about the progress of each baby during 

 the week. The third method is by distribution of literature. A year 

 ago we prepared large illustrated poster sheets of instructions to 

 mothers on the care of babies. These were widely circulated through 

 public schools, settlements, and on bulletin boards, as well as 

 through the hundreds of patrons of our ten stations. These posters 

 were issued in English, Italian, and Yiddish. This year they have 

 been re-issued by the Boston Board of Health, by the Worcester 

 Board of Health, and supplies of them have been purchased from 

 us by other organizations. We also issue other small leaflets to 

 mothers. 



The education of the public is brought about principally through 

 'stories issued to the newspapers. We have an average of ten feet 

 of columns per week in the local press. The appeals which we 

 issue are also designed to convey very definite educational informa- 

 tion. High school girls have been reached during the past year 

 through a special lecture course established by us jointly with the 

 School Board. The class consisted of 39 members who attended 

 with absolute regularity lectures arranged by our medical director. 

 We have made a beginning in the teaching of fathers by a class 

 conducted for us by Dr. William P. Lucas, of the Infant's Hospital 

 and the Rotch Milk Fund for Sick Babies. 



All of our work is designed to be preventive and remedial. We 

 do not care for sick babies, referring them promptly to private 

 physicians, hospitals or dispensaries. Of course, nearly all of the 

 children who are referred to us are somewhat upset, but they are 

 accepted if they have no temperature or other positive indication 

 of illness. The nurse and the conference physician investigate the 

 cause of the trouble, assist the mother to improve her breast milk 

 and as a final resort prescribe our stock formulae of modified milk 

 or teach the mother preparation of a special formula at home. We 

 distribute whole milk to the mothers for their own use for home 

 modification and for the use of older children. This is the inspected 

 grade of milk, the highest practicable standard, and we are able 

 to sell it at 9 cents a quart. Our modified milk is sold in all formulae 

 at 2 cents for four ounces, 2^ cents for six ounces, and 3 cents for 

 eight ounces. These prices represent wholesale cost. 



