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111
Tables No. 76 and 77 shew that the proportion of infantile
death amongst illegitimate children is very much greater
than amongst legitimate infants. Duning last year the rates
were 204 and 7'J per 1,000 illegitimate and legitimate births
respectively. An illegitimate child at birth is in no way
less healthy than a legitimate one, and this enormous death
rate is due largely to lack of maternal care and nursing.
Causes and Prevention of Infantile Mortality.—
During the year 1913 there were 325 deaths amongst
infants under one year of age. Of these, 128 died under
the age of four weeks, and their deaths are attributed in the
majority of cases to some congenital defect or weakness.
Doubtless many of these lives might have been saved with
a good system of antenatal work amongst the expectant
mothers. Of the remaining 197 who died between the ages
of one month and one year, the majority may be classified
as "avoidable deaths."
Amongst the commonest causes of avoidable Infantile
Deaths are:—
I. Want of maternal nursing; improper feeding.
II. Want of knowledge of infant care.
III. Want of medical treatment.
I. Want of Maternal Nursing; Improper Feeding.
It may be said that the greatest single cause of infantile
deaths is lack of maternal nursing. Not only are all intestinal
disorders far commoner amongst artificially fed
children, but many other diseases are indirectly due to the
same cause.
The chief reasons for hand feeding are—
(a) Insufficiency or poorness of the maternal milk—
rare, and usually due to malnutrition of the
mother.