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107
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Of the' 1,996 infants visited, it was found that 1,601, or 8o'2
per cent., were wholly breast-fed, while 395, or ig"8 per cent., were
otherwise fed.
If, however, we add to the number wholly breast-fed the
number of children in which other foods were given in addition
we find that the percentage is increased to 89" 1, a slight increase
compared with the previous years.
112, or 5.6 per cent., were fed on cows' milk only, but 22 had
other foods in addition, raising the percentage to 6.7, a decrease
compared with 1907, when the percentage was 7.1.
62 had condensed milk only, and nine had condensed milk and
food, a total of 71, or 3'5 per cent., an increase of '4 per cent,
compared with 1907.
Eleven infants were led on farinaceous food only, compared
with nine in the previous year.
With reference to the cases re-visited, it was found that out
of a total of 1,098, 726 or 66.7 per cent, were still breast-fed only,
compared with 64'6 per cent, in 1907; while taking other foods
with the breast the percentage was nearly 77.
The total number of deaths among those infants visited by
the Inspectors was 66, and of these only 20 died from Diarrhoea or
Enteritis. As stated by the Inspectors, further inquiry after death
showed that of these 20, five were delicate from birth, two were
twins, one was the eldest of triplets, and three were entirely
breast-fed.
The mortality rate among the infants visited was thus only
33 per 1,000, compared with 98 over the whole Borough. As in
former years the visits of the Inspectors are almost wholly confined
to the poorer classes among whom this mortality is high.