“Polio”
Reading edition
INFANTILE PARALYSIS
Prudential HEALTH SERIES
When polio strikes some child in a community, it is only natural for all parents in that community to become concerned about their own children. It is well to keep in mind, however, that even during an epidemic the number of persons who get the disease is very small in comparison with the total population. For example, approximately 45,000 cases were reported for the entire United States and Canada in 1949—and this was a bad year.
Furthermore, about 50% of those who get polio seriously enough to become paralyzed recover completely. Another large group has very slight after-effects. Comparatively few are seriously affected by the disease, and many of these can be considerably improved by means of surgery and prolonged special treatment. Very few cases end fatally.
This does not mean, however, that polio can safely be ignored. The disease is a serious one—it is the most frequent cause of deformity in children—and wise parents will take every possible precaution to help their children avoid contracting it.