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31
I feel strongly that a large number of infants start
life at a very great disadvantage, because during intrauterine
life or during the first six months, their mothers
have not been able to nourish them. We suffer greatly
from these defectively nourished babies in Deptford, as is
demonstrated by the fact that 28 per cent, of the infantile
deaths are from wasting diseases, 11 per cent, of which are
due to Marasmus, and the remaining 17 per cent, primarily
to maternal conditions causing premature birth and congenital
defects.
The life of a mother among the poorer classes is
always a strenuous one if the family is large (the birth
rate for the East Ward last year was estimated as 31.9 as
compared with 24.7 for the whole borough, and 23.9 per
1,000 for London), when hunger is added, and particularly
when such a woman is an expectant or nursing mother,
the condition is a very distressing one.
13. Maternal neglect.—The infantile mortality in
the borough is higher among illegitimate children from all
causes, but the excess is greatest in regard to diarrhœa.
It may be noted that Illegitimate Births are highest in the
East and North-West Wards. During 1910, the East
Ward contributed 21, North-West 13 and the other wards
averaged 7 each. I have it on the authority of the Health
Visitor and from personal observation that many of the
mothers live more exacting lives than any other group of
the community, and that when food first comes into the
house, it is given to the children or the husband, whilst
the mother, even if carrying, goes on from day to day in a
state of semi-starvation.
14. Sex.—It is common knowledge that the mortality
in male infants is greater than that in children of the
opposite sex, as also is the liability to Diarrhœa.