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201
THE WORK OF THE LADY SANITARY
INSPECTORS.
This includes three months voluntary work by Mi as M. G. Jones
previous to her official appointment on 28th March, 1905. A
summary of the work of the year will be found on p. 203.
Investigation of the Deaths of Infants.—Investigations have
been made into the causes and circumstances of the deaths of 418
infants, that is of children under 12 months. Information has
been obtained in 374 cases, some of which is classified in the table
on p. 2(i. In the column headed "Mother's Work," the occupation
of the mother since the birth of the deceased child is indicated,
except in deaths occurring under one month, when the occupation
of the mother during pregnancy has been recorded. It is satisfactory
to note that the general cleanliness of the tenements has
greatly improved compared witli the conditions found last year.
Of the 27 deaths of infants from suffocation (which have
been investigated), three occurred when the infant was in bed
alone and one when the infant was in bed with three other children,
both parents being absent; of the remaining 23, only 39 per cent,
occurred between Saturday night and Monday morning.
All the children suffocated in bed with their parents were breast
fed, with one exception ; in nearly every instance the mother
admitted the practice of sleeping with her infant on her arm.
Births.—A large number of visits and re-visits have been made
in connection with births, and various particulars have been
obtained in 1,859 cases, some of which are classified in the
table on p. 15.
*The particulars of a somewhat exceptional case are given as follows :—
J. S., a healthy int'aut of six weeks, son of costermongers, had always slept
in a cradle until night of death. Parents had removed into Finsbury on
Saturday and had been working hard all day until midnight, mother then
washed and suckled the baby and took it into her bed as the cradle was not
ready for use, she slept soundly all night and woke at 7.40 a.m. to find the
baby dead; a first child, not insured; the mother a young, healthy,
sober-looking woman, very clean.