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108
"Although most of the infants brought to my notice in this
way are still inadequately clothed, there has been some improvement
in this direction during the last year. Most of the mothers
now provide their infants with some kind of woollen undervest.
"About 100 of these were purchased at cost price at the
Town Hall during the year. As I mentioned in last year's Report,
some of the head teachers kindly arranged for the elder girls to
knit these woollen vests for the babies, and they have been very
much appreciated by the mothers.
"Inadequate clothing is often a result of ignorance more
than of poverty. Children are sometimes overburdened with heavy
cotton clothes, where suitable ones would cost no more and sometimes
necessitate less work. One child who came to be weighed
wore four petticoats, two of flannelette, one of Oxford shirting,
and one of calico. To encourage better clothing of the children
I have been able to arrange, through the kindness of one of the
Head Teachers, for the school children to make a model set of
long and short baby clothes. These are now being made, and,
when finished, will be shown to the mothers; and patterns will
be given to anyone who wishes to have them."
It is possible that the actual reduction in the rate of infantile
mortality is masked by the circumstance that the birth-rate is
becoming more disproportionately a rate affecting the poorer
people, among whom infantile mortality is always higher than
among the well-to-do.
The solution of the problem of infant mortality is to be
found in the circumstances surrounding the life of the mothers
of the poorer classes, and especially of the poorest class which
is fighting year in and year out against destitution and want. I
have often observed that with many such mothers their great
need is not only advice and instruction by health visitors, but also
some practical assistance to enable them to take advantage of that
advice.