Judging Babies Like Prize Livestock
In 1908, the Louisiana State Fair introduced an unusual contest: infants were judged based on a detailed scorecard assessing physical traits, health, and even subjective qualities like temperament. Organized by child advocate Mary DeGarmo, the contest aimed to identify the “scientific” ideal baby. Winners received silver trophies, and the event gained national attention, promoting better hygiene and child health practices.
From Baby Contests to Eugenics
As the movement spread, contests like these became intertwined with the eugenics movement. Eugenicists used them to propagate ideas about heredity, collecting data to promote selective breeding. The contests emphasized “desirable” traits, often excluding racial and physical diversity. By 1920, Kansas introduced “Fitter Families” contests, expanding the concept to evaluate entire family lineages. These contests mirrored livestock competitions, applying the same principles to humans.
A Scientific Veneer
Proponents claimed these contests advanced public health and heredity science, but they also reinforced social hierarchies. Standards excluded those outside idealized norms, perpetuating ideas of superiority tied to race and class. By the 1920s, eugenics had influenced policies like immigration restrictions and sterilization laws.
Legacy of the Movement
Though the term “eugenics” became infamous after World War II, the contests helped embed concepts of hereditary “fitness” into American culture, shaping societal perceptions of health and family well into the mid-20th century.
Imagine attending a state fair where you’re judged like livestock, scrutinized for physical measurements, health, and even subjective qualities like temperament. This was reality at early 20th-century ‘Better Babies’ contests, where trophies awaited the most ‘scientific’… pic.twitter.com/FdK2agWJeo
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) January 6, 2025