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Nearly every coroner, at all events in London, has lamented this
increase, and has stated that the deaths were largely preventable. As
they mainly take place on Saturday night (two to three times as many as
on other nights), the stupefaction of drink must be held largely
accountable for the mothers' carelessness; Monday is the next worst.
The rate of deaths from suffocation in bed has steadily increased from
130 per million births in 1881 to 174 in 1890, and is now even higher
than that. That this black list might easily be abolished is proved by the
experience of Germany, where, though infantile mortality as a whole is
high, this particular form of death has now been almost abolished, since
it renders the parent liable to a fine; drunkenness being no excuse, as it
is with us, for the child's death, but rather an aggravation. In AustroHungary
also parents are forbidden to have infants in bed with themselves.
In my health addresses I fully enter into the subject, and give
simple instructions to the mothers, with so far very satisfactory results.
MEANS EMPLOYED FOR LOWERING THE INFANT
MORTALITY.
(a) The following Leaflet is given to each person registering
a birth, by the Registrar.
THE DISTRICT COUNCIL OF ACTON.
IMPORTANT ADVICE TO PARENTS.
1. For the first seven or eight months of life the Infants' Food
should be restricted to Mother's Milk, which is the natural food.
Starchy foods, such as Potatoes, Sago, Tapioca, Rice, Bread, Biscuits,
&c., must on no account be given, as the juices for digesting them are
not formed till the seventh or eighth month when the teeth begin to
appear.