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Metropolitan Boroughs the rate is considerably lower, one
in fact being as low as 86.
Of the infantile deaths approximately 35 per cent,
occurred in the first four weeks, the causes being due to
prematurity, injury at birth and congenital malformations.
The births of so many premature babies should be
reduced with the co-operation of the mothers. With
efficient ante-natal care throughout the expectant period a
full-term, average-weight, vigorous baby should be born
and, with proper care, survive. Even when babies are
born prematurely there need not necessarily follow this
high percentage of deaths. This has been clearly shown
in the survival of some extremely small babies weighing
as little as 2 lbs. and 3 lbs. in the last year or two. (A baby
born in Hammersmith on the 22nd May, 1936, weighing
2 lbs. 11 ozs., weighed 7 lbs. 14 ozs. on the 11th
September, 1936.)
Extraordinary results have been achieved in the rearing
of infants as is shown by the survival of triplets, quadruplets
and even quintuplets when born of healthy parents,
given unremitting care, and properly nursed in healthy
surroundings. It is true that this has been accomplished
with the assistance of funds supplied by an enterprising
newspaper on the one hand and a government department
on the other but it goes to show what is possible. There
are so many examples of the survival of multiple births
that it would seem a simple matter to rear a single child
of healthy parents when an average knowledge of mothercraft is applied with intelligence.
It would be more profitable and give better results if
more time were given to the teaching of mothercraft to
girls during the later years of school life and less to subjects
which are of little value and never used after leaving
school.
To obviate prematurity it is essential that the expectant
mother be afforded supervision, advice, and. if need be,
extra nourishment at properly conducted and well-formed