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It will be noted that the largest number of deaths, 342, is attributable
to antenatal causes—the group represented by premature
birth and its associated conditions, congenital defects, atrophy,
debility, and marasmus.
The next largest group of deaths, 306 in number, is ascribed to
diarrhoea, enteritis, and gastritis, diseases of dirty feeding, of
improper feeding, diseases of carelessness and neglect, diseases
connected with domestic filth and dirty environment.
Next in order of magnitude are the 246 deaths due to bronchitis
and pneumonia, diseases of exposure, diseases of insufficient or
improper clothing. Most of the deaths due to the three foregoing
grouped causes are preventable. That they are not prevented is
due to poverty, the employment of the mothers, carelessness,
negligence, ignorance, indifference, and, in the first group, probably
to wilful design.
During the last 4 years, 64 children have been overlain in bed
by their parents. These deaths are obviously preventable. Their
number showed such a tendency to increase at the end of the year
that the Borough Council issued the annexed leaflet. It is given
to every Finsbury mother by the health visitor on her first visit to
the household.
Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury.
DEATHS FROM OVERLYING.
During the last ten years more than 200 Finsbury babies have
been killed by their mothers taking them to bed and suffocating
them to death by sleeping over them. What has generally happened
is that the mother has been tired or has been drinking at
the end of the day's work. She has retired to bed and gone to
sleep with the baby at the breast and resting on the mother's arm.
During the night the mother has turned on her side and pressed
down the baby beneath her breast. The baby has struggled and
become convulsed, but its efforts have been too weak to wake the
mother. It should be widely known that many babies who are