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14
These tables show quite clearly the extent to which the illegitimate infant deaths effect
adversely the Kensington infantile mortality rate.
In passing, it is impossible to avoid drawing attention to the mortality rate of children born
to married women, which was only 68 per 1,000 as against 212 per 1,000 for illegitimate children.
It has now been shown that the increase in the number of deaths in the first month of life,
and particularly in the first week of life, is more than sufficient to account for the increase of the infantile
mortality rate from 75 for 1924 to 78 for 1925. Further, it has been shown that the increase
in the number of deaths of illegitimate children is also more than sufficient to account for the increased
infantile death rate.
If it can be proved that it is the deaths of illegitimate children which have been mainly
responsible for the increase in the number of deaths in the first month of life, the cause of the increased
infantile mortality rate will be clearly explained.
I have attempted to prepare a table (1) to show the age at death of illegitimate children in
1925 in order to ascertain whether it is the deaths of such children which are largely responsible
for the high death rate in the first few weeks of life and (2) to show to what extent the RegistrarGeneral's
allocation of the births and deaths of children of unmarried domestic servants to the
district in which the employer's residence is situated is responsible for the increased rate in the
Borough, and particularly for the increase in such Wards as Holland and Brompton.
Such statistics as I have endeavoured to obtain might not only clearly explain the increased
death rate for 1925, but might go a very long way to explaining why the Kensington infantile
death rate is year by year higher than that of most of the other districts both inside and outside
London.
Unfortunately, after a patient search of the records, it has been found impossible to submit
tables in a satisfactory form owing to the difficulty of getting exact information in regard to the
births of many of the illegitimate children.
In view of the disabilities imposed by society on unmarried women and their children, there
is a good deal of secrecy attached to the births of illegitimate children. They take place in Hospitals
and Rescue Homes in all parts of London and outside, and in no fewer than 87 of the 198 Kensington
illegitimate births in 1925, the Registrar has merely allocated the birth to Kensington without
giving an address. When it is impossible to allocate to Wards 44% of the total, it will be seen
that the table would be of little value.
Furthermore, in only 104 of the 198 births was it possible to discover the occupation of the
mother ; but in these 104 cases it was ascertained that 62 were domestic servants.
Of the 42 illegitimate infant deaths, 23 (or over 50%) were the children of the 62 domestic
servants; and it is possible, and indeed probable, that of the other 19 deaths some were those of
children of domestic servants whose occupations could not be ascertained. It is unfortunate that
the analysis attempted could not be completed, but the facts quoted do, I think, justify the conclusion
which has been hinted at. There is one point in the analysis which certainly supports it
strongly. There were 15 deaths of children under twelve months of age allocated to the Holland
W'ard and 7 (or almost 50%) were those of illegitimate children.
Whilst it is impossible to obtain all necessary particulars in order to account conclusively for
the increased death rate in South Kensington, the necessity of giving the age at death to the Registrar
makes it possible to ascertain the extent to which illegitimate children died in the first month
of life. Of the 42 illegitimate infant deaths, 21 (or 50%) occurred in the first month of life, and the
majority of these in the first week.
It is scarcely necessary to comment upon the ante-natal and post-natal conditions associated
with illegitimate births. In the majority of cases the mothers work almost up to the time of confinement
and often resume work as quickly as possible afterwards. Owing to the mother having
to earn her living, the child does not generally receive adequate attention, unless it be in an institution.-
In many cases the child is not wanted ; it is neglected and its early loss is not mourned.
The outstanding points in this review of the infantile death rate are as follow:—
(a) The infantile death rate of legitimate children is only 68 per 1,000 births.
(b) The rate for illegitimate children is 212 per 1,000 births.
(c) There has been a decrease in the infantile death rate for North Kensington and the
figure (83) for 1925 is the lowest recorded for that half of the Borough.
(d) The rate for the Golborne Ward (77) is the lowest for that Ward in the history of the
Borough.