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There were 32 deaths of infants in Edmonton in 1963 and
possibly there need not have been so many deaths. Twenty-five of
the children who died were born in hospital, 7 at home. However,
more of the children who survived were born in hospital, and actually
889 babes were born in hospital, and 444 born at home. The death
rate of the hospital babies is therefore not quite twice that of the
home babies, not more than three times the whole rate as might appear
at first sight. At present the shortage of hospital beds is such that
only those mothers whose pregnancies are risky or likely to be risky,
can be admitted to hospital,and it may be therefore that the lower death
rate of the home babies is more of a tribute to the selection of mothers
for hospital confinement than a condemnation of the care they are given
in hospital.