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It will be seen from the foregoing table that there is a marked difference in the mortality among
children under one year of age when the least and most overcrowded groups of districts are compared.
This agrees with the figures in corresponding tables published in previous annual reports. If the figures
for each of the trimesters are considered in this connection, it will be seen that the same behaviour of
the mortality is observable. This will be better appreciated by reference to the following table, in which
the mortality of the least overcrowded group of districts is taken as 100:—

It will be seen from this table that in each successive trimester of the first year of life the
difference in the mortality obtaining for the several groups of districts becomes more pronounced.
These figures are in agreement with the results obtained from a comparison of the figures of 1905 and
1906, which have been published in previous reports.
Suffocation of Infants.
The subject of the suffocation of infants in bed has received considerable attention during 1908
in connection with the provisions of the Children Bill. This Bill provides that when it is proved that
the death of an infant under three years of age was caused by suffocation whilst the infant was in bed
with some other person over sixteen years of age, and that that other person was at the time of going
to bed under the influence of drink, that other person shall be deemed to have neglected the infant in
a manner likely to cause injury to its health, within the meaning of the Act.
In this connection the following table is of interest, and shows that when groups of London
sanitary areas arranged in order of their condition as to "overcrowding" are considered, the mortality
among infants caused by "suffocation in bed" progressively increases from the least to the most
overcrowded groups.

During the year the Council received from midwives practising in London weekly lists of the
patients attended by them, and in this way the addresses of 26,993 patients were obtained. In 862 cases
the child was either stillborn or had died before the weekly list was prepared. The addresses of the
surviving infants were communicated with as little delay as possible to the medical officers of health
of the districts to which the births belonged. Only in one instance did the medical officer of health not
desire to receive this information, while in some districts the medical officers of health obtained further
information as to births in their districts by arrangement with the registrars of births. The annual
reports of medical officers of health show that the homes were visited either by a woman sanitary
inspector or by a health visitor, or in some districts by voluntary workers, acting in co-operation with
the medical officer of health. Leaflets have been distributed and advice given on infant feeding.
Milk depots for the supply of milk to infants have been established in Battersea, Finsbury, Lambeth
and Woolwich, and in Holborn arrangements have been made with a milk company to supply special
milk on the order of the medical officer of health.
With a view to the prevention of infant mortality, a law was enacted in 1907 requiring the
notification to the medical officer of health of births in the districts of those authorities who adopted
the Act. The duty of notification is imposed upon the father if residing in the house where the birth
takes place, and any person in attendance upon the mother at the time of, or within six hours after,
1 See footnote (1) page 19.