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83
Only five mothers admitted having used a feeding
bottle with a rubber tube. There is now no need for
anyone in Bethnal Green to use these abominations, as
by the kindness of the Ex-Mayor, Mr. Councillor Fox,
properly shaped feeding bottles can be obtained through
the Public Health Department even more cheaply than
bad ones can be got at a shop.
Fifty-four of the infants who died were breast-fed
as against 67 hand-fed. This was a much larger proportion
of naturally-fed babies than usual.
Thirty-four babies were fed on condensed milk (all
of a good brand), twenty-five on ordinary cow's milk,
three on sterilized milk, one on malted milk and four
on patent foods. Though the women frequently deny
the practice, cornflour, oatmeal, &c., is often added to
the milk given to young babies—even those of a few
days or hours old. The mothers think that the feeding
value of the milk is increased thereby.
Many of the babies were said to have been ill a
very short time—a few days or hours only. No information
was obtained concerning 59 infants. Some
were never visited; in a few cases the families had
moved, and could not be traced; one had never lived at
the address registered, and no baby had died there;
one was known at the address given under a different
name, and had left; one family lived at their address
only four days, during which the baby was admitted to
the Infirmary; and three others went into the workhouse.
One family had been turned into the street for
arrears of rent, and were found later at another address,