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55
[1906
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The mortality among infants is perhaps the most important subject which
at present is engaging the attention of all persons who are directly or indirectly
interested in the prevention of disease or death; and the fact that a bill, recently
introduced by a private member into the House of Commons, to compel the
notification of births to the Medical Officer of Health within thirty-six hours
was received with sympathetic cheers from all political parties, points to the
deep impression that has been made on the minds of our legislators as to
the necessity of something being done to stop the great waste of infant life
that is taking place in this country, owing to the ignorance and carelessness,
not always intentional, of mothers about the care of themselves both before
and after their children's births, as well as of the infants whom they are
expected to rear.
This subject is happily engaging the serious attention of the Public
Health Committee of this borough and it is hoped that when their report
comes before the Council that it will receive that great consideration which
the subject demands, and which those who understand this question expect.
In 1906, out of 8,659 infants that were born, 1,083 died before they had
reached the end of their first year of life, so that the deaths were in the
proportion of 125 to every 1,000 infants who were born. This is a high
mortality, although happily not nearly so high as that which occurs in other
boroughs or districts.
The rate is almost identical with the figure for 1905, namely 123, and
with this exception is the smallest hitherto recorded in Islington. The
record of the mortality of infants has never been published in full in any
report of the Medical Officer of Health, and, therefore, as the subject is of
such vital interest, it is now given as far as the returns can be accurately
ascertained.