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55
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The subject of infantile mortality continues to receive much attention from sanitary authorities,
and there can be no doubt that public interest in it was greatly stimulated by the National
Conference held in 1906, to which reference was made in the annual report for that year. No
subject is more deserving of consideration, or is of more national importance, having regard to the
constantly decreasing birth-rate ; which, apparently, is likely to continue and can only be compensated,
it would appear, by efforts to preserve infant life, and to rear the ever decreasing number
of infants born so as to ensure a healthy race. The Council exhibited their interest in this
matter by appointing a " health visitor " in 1905, upon my recommendation, and were so satisfied with
the result as to have resolved unanimously, in December last to appoint a second.
The Registrar-General, dealing with the question of infantile mortality in the Annual Summary
for 190G, observed that of the total deaths under one year of age recorded in London in that
year, nearly 29 per cent, took place in the first month of life, and it will be seen from the table at
page t>7 that this proportion was slightly exceeded in the borough last year. To this interesting
table—which deals with deaths from stated causes in weeks and months under one year of age,
having been designed by the Local Government Board to " procure periodically from Medical
Officers of Health . . . special returns of mortality in the infantile portion of the community," I
have added another, grouping the deaths occurring in the borough in monthly periods. From this
table it appears that of the 433 deaths under one year in 1907, the numbers in the successive quarters
were 150, 89, 101 and 93. Diarrhoea, which, in 1906, was the cause of 92 deaths, proved
fatal to only 2.1 infants last year. Prematurity of birth was the cause of 67
deaths, including 52 in the first week, and all save one within four weeks after birth.
Diseases of the lungs account for 192 deaths (pneumonia 53, bronchitis 49), atrophy,
debility, marasmus for 51, whooping-cough for 34; suffocation, overlaying, for 10, other
10 deaths being due to violence of various sorts. Syphilis was accountable for 10 deaths; 12
were attributable to congenital defects.
The births registered as illegitimate were 200 or 5.8 per cent. on total births; the deaths of
illegitimate infants were 52 equal to 12.0 per cent. on all deaths under one year, and 26.0 per
cent, on births registered as illegitimate.
The Health Visitor, Miss Gauntlett, has submitted a report on her work during the year, as
follows: —
The Care of Infants.—I paid 2,262 visits and 725 re-visits to the homes; total visits 2,987; in
North Kensington 2,473; in South Kensington 514. In 116 cases no information was obtainable.
I paid a weekly visit to the Maternity Ward of the Borough Infirmary, and interviewed 66
convalescent mothers.
Latterly, I have been able to assist the cause in a small way by giving brief talks to mothers
while examining and weighing their infants in connection with Mrs. Prideaux's work among
nursing mothers at 15, Fowell Street.
Of the 2,146 infants seen by me, 1,668 were breast-fed only; 269 were partly breast-fed
and partly hand-fed; 209 were entirely hand-fed—119 of them improperly. Long-tubed bottles
were in use in 55 cases; many of them were in a sour and dirty condition.
Seventeen hundred and sixty-four infants appeared to be in a healthy condition; 382 were
suffering from various diseases, or were weaklyand ill-nourished. A large proportion of the
sickly and ill-nourished infants were hand-fed; not a few of them improperly so fed. Many
infants appeared to be suffering merely from the condition of the semi-starved, harassed and overworked
nursing mother.
Thirty-three hand-fed weakly infants died within a few months of birth; "improvement" was
recorded in 107 cases. Twenty-two infants were found to be in a dirty and neglected condition,
the mothers of some of these were obviously women of intemperate and undisciplined habits;
many infants were the victims of dirty and incompetent foster-mothers or caretakers.
It was ascertained that 501 mothers went out to work as laundresses, charwomen, scrubbers,
machinists, hawkers, etc., and that 170 of the laundresses and charwomen worked up to the very
day of confinement, compelled in nearly every case by urgent necessity. Far from being indifferent
to the claims of the coming infant, this class of mother is usually anxious to anticipate every need;
she generally has a large family, and often a husband out of work.
Mothers to the number of 123 were found to be in a very weakly state of health; and by
reason of consumption, anaemia, starvation, overwork, mammary abcesses, etc., 68 were unable to
suckle their infants. Many others struggled on, supplementing the impoverished breast milk by