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the infants in six of these : children not thriving in any case. These
foods were given in the early months of the infant's life as a substitute
for or supplemental to mother's milk. Tubed bottles were used in
fourteen instances, and bad effects are noted in six.
Effect of Feeding on Infant's Health.-There were eighteen deaths
among the 282 breast.fed babies, as compared with fourteen among the
100 bottle.fed. Five, at least, of these latter deaths were due to
diarrhoea or to diseases resulting from unsuitable food.
Among the fifty.three infants, who were delicate or did not thrive,
in twenty.six (or one.half) the disability is attributable to errors in
feeding.
Death.rate per cent. of breast.fed infants 6.3
„ „ bottle.fed „ 14.0
(partly or entirely)
The mother's absence at work may have been a cause of the
premature weaning in many instances.
Non.thriving Infants.-Fifty.three of the 400 were delicate or did
not thrive. The causes were as follows :-
(1) Food not agreeing (26).
(2) Unhealthy family (constitutional taint).
(3) Bad housing conditions.
(4) Insufficient attention, due to mother's absence at work.
(5) Infantile diseases (adenoids, cleft.palate, eczema, conjunctivitis,
&c.).
(6) Debility due to prematurity.
In many cases it is difficult to say exactly why the infant did not
thrive. There was often a combination of several of the causes mentioned
above.
Infants whose ill.health was due to acute diseases are not included
under this head.
A separate cot is not often provided for the child.
Unhealthy Mothers.-Of the mothers, sixty suffered more or less from
ill.health or general debility. In many instances the strain of pregnancy,
labour, or lactation was responsible. Drink or poverty are not
frequently stated as causes. Scarcity of nourishment during pregnancy
or after does not often appear to have been a cause.
The points brought out by the summary of the Visitors' Eecords
show that ignorance, lack of cleanliness, irregularity of feeding and of
habits are the principal causes of infantile ill.health and death, and
these factors tell most strongly in the case of bottle.fed babies, where
more, rather than less, care is needed if they are to be successfully
reared. The systematic visiting carried out by the Society has shown
that the difficulties met with are not to be remedied by any one specific.