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The council have shown deep concern in regard to the high infant death rate in the borough,
and the circumstances of every infant death are examined in detail by the maternity and child
welfare committee. Although the total number of deaths is lower than in 1937, the number of
infants who died in the first four weeks of life, or neo.natal period, shows a relative increase from
32.3 per cent. of the total deaths in 1937 to 34.3 in 1938. Twelve of these 60 neo.natal deaths
occurred in the well.to.do classes. Of the 48 deaths of infants belonging to the class for which
provision is mainly made by the council's services it is noteworthy that in a quarter of the number
(12 cases) there was absence or gross inadequacy of pre.natal supervision owing to the mother's
neglect to take advantage of the facilities provided by the council. When it is appreciated that the
number of women attending the hospital pre.natal department and borough clinics represents over
80 per cent. of the total Kensington births and that those cases under the care of a private doctor
or specialist would account for the remainder, this high infant death rate among the few cases who
did not receive supervision during pregnancy emphasizes the value of pre.natal care. In several
of the cases receiving adequate supervision the feebleness of the infant which resulted in death was
consequent upon severe illness of the mother which resulted in the premature termination of the
pregnancy either spontaneously or by induction of labour.
In the group of deaths between one and twelve months of age the death rate from enteritis
remains very high, although in some cases the intestinal symptoms were secondary to disease of the
respiratory tract. The council have continued to direct special attention to this subject, and
intensive propaganda in the form of leaflets, posters, lectures and films was renewed during the
summer months. Further investigations have been made by the council's bacteriologist on the
nature of the intestinal contents of a series of bottle.fed babies, and an attempt made to reproduce
the conditions present in breast.fed infants by certain dietary additions, but these have met with
inconclusive results.
On January 5th, 1938, a meeting of the Kensington Medical Society was convened under the
chairmanship of the medical officer of health in order to consider the problem of the high infant
mortality rate in the borough. All the council's medical officers, a number of the London county
council's medical superintendents and medical officers, several consultants in children's diseases
and a large number of Kensington medical practitioners were present. The conference aroused
such interest that it was followed by a second meeting on March 8th when the discussion and
interchange of views was completed. The conclusions arrived at may be summarised as follows :—
(1) That mortality from enteritis occurs almost entirely among infants who are artificially fed.
(2) That breast.feeding of infants is of the utmost importance.
(3) That, if possible, a baby with enteritis should be nursed in its own home and not admitted
to hospital on account of the risk of infection to other infants. (The meeting learned
with satisfaction of the council's decision to make an extra grant to the Kensington
District Nursing Association to permit of free home nursing facilities for infants attended
by medical practitioners at home.)
(4) That propaganda against flies and in favour of cleanliness in the home is of great value.
Tribute was paid to the expert skill and valuable work carried out by Dr. Ronald Carter, the
council's specialist for enteritis, whose report for the year 1938 appears on page 63.
In summing up the discussion the medical officer of health pointed out that the council were
already working on the lines suggested at the meeting in their attempt to lower the infant mortality
rate.