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In thirty-five cases the mothers had been compelled to go out to
work, either during pregnancy or shortly after the birth of the child.
This was mainly because their husbands were out of work entirely, or
because they were unable to earn sufficient to keep the family without
the extra money earned by the wives. In almost every case this
meant either partially or totally weaning the child, besides leaving it
to the care of others. After the extra expense incurred in so doing has
been met, it is doubtful whether there is much profit, when the mother
of a large family goes out to work.
The following examples may be cited as typical:—
677. Husband—labourer. Out of work three months. Woman
went out as a dressmaker. Worked a treadle machine until two months
before confinement. Infant, the first child ; born prematurely; died
six days after birth.
699. Husband—carman. Out of work. Wife went out charing
until day before her confinement. First child. Delicate from birth;
died at three months.
702. Husband—porter. Out of work. Woman went out charing.
" Had to work very hard." Short of food. Infant born prematurely.
Died six hours after birth.
671. Mother unmarried, worked daily at treadle machine until
shortly before confinement. Infant born prematurely. Died three days
after birth. Mother returned to work a month after her confinement.
Inquiries with regard to the health of the family generally proved
that one or other of the parents was delicate. In four instances the .
mother, and in one instance the father, of the deceased infant was stated
to be suffering from consumption. The death of another child occurred
within one month after both parents had died of consumption. In the
case of two infants who had died of tubercular meningitis there was a
phthisical history in both families. In the first instance the mother's
father and brother died of consumption, while in the second instance
the mother's grandmother and uncle died of the same disease. In another
case investigated, the mother had been subject to fits from childhood.
In two instances where the death of the infant was due to premature
birth, there was evidence of this being caused by an accident to the
mother. In two other cases brought to my notice, in one the mother,
and in the other the father, had each respectively deserted the family
a short time before the death of the child. In yet another instance the
mother had committed suicide two months previously, the verdict being
one of temporary insanity.
Turning to the question of home conditions, in thirty instances
(or 28 per cent.) the family were living and sleeping in one room.
Statistics on this point are now available for five years, and the figures
amount to 22, 17, 18, 23, and 28 per cent, respectively, for each year,
which gives an average of 21.6 per cent. for the whole period. In all
probability, therefore, more than one-fifth of the infantile deaths occur in
families living in one room. As in former years, a considerable number
of deaths, no less than twelve, occurred in basement rooms. In thirty
cases the deceased infant had been the first child.