 Set up to apply scientific principles to nutrition of babies, and strongly rooted in eugenics and patriotism, its 1917 "Save the Babies" Week had the slogan "The Race marches forward on the feet of Little Children".,

King's methods to teach mothers domestic hygiene and childcare were strongly promoted through his first book on mothercare, "Feeding and Care of Baby", and via a network of specially trained Karitane Nurses and a widely syndicated newspaper column, "Our babies", written by King's wife Isabella.Apart from nutrition, King's methods specifically emphasised regularity of feeding, sleeping and bowel movements, within a generally strict regimen supposed to build character by avoiding cuddling and other attention.His methods were controversial.