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in this way, it would be sad and discouraging to contemplate
the manner in which the babies waste after
birth—many of them are even smaller and lighter in
weight at three months old than at three weeks; later
on, these become ricketty, while the weight is somewhere
about 1 lb. per month of age, i.e., a child
12 months old weighs about 12 lbs. Some are worse,
as, for example, the following:—
Child A 12 months old, weighed 9 lbs. in clothes.
„ B 15½ ,, „ 10 lbs. 6 ozs. „
„ C 15 „ „ 14 lbs. ,,
„ D 17 „ „ 12 lbs. 14 ozs. „
„ E 18 „ „ 11 lbs. 12 ozs. „
These are actual cases, all of whom improved.
The weight of a normally healthy child should be about
18½ lbs. at 12 months, so that these, when put under
treatment, were far below the standard. Some of these
infants were visited after their birth, but were then lost
sight of; and many were found when the mother was
visited after the birth of another baby. This fact goes
to show the importance of re-inspection and of keeping
in touch with the mothers when their acquaintance has
once been made.
The mothers may be described as roughly of three
classes:—
(a) The good mothers, who, usually, are
already, when visited, doing the best they can for
their children according to their knowledge and
their means.