View report page

19
offspring of high vitality, and the increased infant mortality from
prematurity and inanition is probably some reflection of this fact.
The influence of meteorological condition's is properly regarded as an
important factor in determining a low rate of infant mortality, and
for several years past a relatively low infant mortality rate has been
a feature in the vital statistics of most European countries; so that
whereas we may take credit for a part of the reduction of recent
years, another part (and how great that is it is impossible to say) has
been due to favourable atmospheric conditions.
Perhaps the employment of mothers in industrial occupations
shortly before and after the birth of the child has less influence on
infantile mortality than has been supposed. No one can dispute the
fact that it is very undesirable, if only from the standpoint that it
robs many children of their natural breast food; but, on the other
hand, if these mothers were prevented from working for 4 or 6
months after child-birth, as has been suggested, it becomes a question
whether the effects of their very low spending power at a critical
period would not be even more disastrous to their offspring.
Dr. Arthur Newsholme, the Chief Medical Officer of the Local
Government Board, has, during the year under review, issued a
valuable report upon the subject of infant and child mortality. In
this report Dr. Newsholme shows that excessive infant mortality
implies excessive chiid mortality, and excessive mortality right up to
adult life; for the tables which he has compiled clearly demonstrate
that among those who are born under the conditions favouring a low
infant mortality relatively larger numbers survive out of a given number
born at each period of life right on to old age. The relationship of a
high infant mortality and high mortality in subsequent life is particularly
marked when comparison is made between death-rates at ages
0—1 and 1—5. "It can reasonably be inferred," Dr. Newsholme
points out, "that a considerable share of infant mortality during the
first month of life is due to other than pre-natal causes, which, like
bronchitis, pneumonia, and diarrhoea, come within the range of
preventive medicine.''
B 2