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37
INFANT MORTALITY AND BIRTH ENQUIRIES.
During the year the Lady Health Visitors have enquired
into the conditions of upbringing of infants in nearly 2,000 cases,
or into about half of the children born during the year. At the
registration of the births the mothers are supplied with handbills
setting forth the rudimentary conditions for the healthy rearing
of children. The enquiry of the Health Visitors is directed to
ascertain how far these conditions are observed, and, at the same
time, they advise in what directions the methods should be
modified where they are faulty.
From the returns made to me I have abstracted some 30,000
facts ascertained in the course of these enquiries and classified them
as shown in the preceding Tables. They throw an interesting light
on the conditions affecting infantile mortality, and a study of the
results convinces that the chief factor in the excessive mortality
of infants is what may be described as defective mothering.
Whether this results from ignorance or indifference, from physical,
economic or imbecile inability to mother their offspring, the facts
show conclusively that the infants who die are the children of
mothers who, for the most part, have failed to afford their young
the mere animal opportunities of survival.
BREAST FEEDING.
Unquestionably the most important fact bearing upon the
prospects of survival of the infant is the manner of feeding. Out
of 331 infants investigated dying within the year, no fewer than
60 per cent. were solely hand fed, while of 1,522 surviving to the
end of the year under 12 per cent. were so fed. The lowest
percentage of exclusively hand-fed infants occurs in those families
where of four or more other children all have survived. Among
this class only 8 per cent. are hand-fed. In the same group of
cases, that is, in families where none of the children have died, it
c