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17
The infantile mortality rates for Fulham since
1866 are given in the subjoined table. If the infantile
mortality rate of the years 1886-1890 had persisted
to this year no less than 530 infants would have died
as compared with the actual number of deaths, 199,
thus showing a saving of 331 infant lives for the year.
Infant Mortality in Fulham.
Deaths of Infants under one year of age per thousand births.
Average for five years :—
1886-1890 170
1891-1895 168
1896-1900 167
1901-1905 144
1906-1910 117
1911-1915 109
1916-1920 92
1921 83
1922 69
1923 64
Deaths of Illegitimate Children.—Of the 199 infants
who died before attaining the age of one year, 23 were
illegitimate, the mortality amongst them being in
the proportion of 155 deaths per thousand births,
against 59 per thousand among children born in wedlock.
This illegitimate infantile mortality rate of
155 is an increase of 52 over that for 1922, when the
rate was 103. It is, of course, an acknowledged fact
that the average illegitimate child does not get the
same care and attention that the legitimate child
receives, and in addition, undoubtedly in some cases
deliberate inattention is paid to the child in the hope
that it may succumb. This, however, is very difficult
to prove. It is interesting to look at the causes of
these illegitimate deaths, and during 1923 they were
as follows : Prematurity 10, wasting and malnutrition
3, want of attention at birth 2, bronchitis 1, pneumonia
1, congenital syphilis 1, enteritis 2, meningitis 2, lack
of vitality 1. Here we see that prematurity again
accounts for a large number of the deaths, over 43
per cent, of the total.