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383 belonged to Mile End Old Town, or at the rate of 119 per 1,000 births.
154 belonged to the Whitechapel District, or at the rate of 101 per 1,000
births.
The infantile mortality for the whole Borough was 125 per 1,000 births,
while that for the whole of London was 104 per 1,000 births.
Deaths of Illegitimate Children.
There were 44 deaths of illegitimate children under one year of age, or at the
rate of 321 per 1,000 illegitimate births.
6 belonged to the Limehouse District, or at the rate of 333 per 1,000
illegitimate births;
12 belonged to St. George-in-the-East, or at the rate of 375 per 1,000
illegitimate births;
14 belonged to Mile End Old Town, or at the rate of 250 per 1,000 illegitimate
births;
12 belonged to the Whitechapel District, or at the rate of 387 per 1,000
illegitimate births.
Work of the Health Visitors.
It is now several years since the first efforts were made in the Borough for the
reduction of the immense loss of infant life that occurs annually.
It was realised that this high mortality was due in large part to the ignorance
of mothers of the principles which govern the rearing of healthy children, as well
as to carelessness and neglect.
The damage done by this ignorance does not end with the large number of
deaths that occur, but results also in the impairment of the physical and mental
condition of the surviving infants. It follows that all work done with the aim of
reducing infantile mortality, must lead also to an improvement in the health of the
survivors, and finally, to the improvement of the race.
Within the past few years advantage has been increasingly taken of the
Notification of Births Act, 1907, to set in motion schemes on behalf of infant
welfare. The success of these schemes has been such, that the Local Government
Board became convinced of the advisability of such work being undertaken more
generally than was hitherto the case.
With the object of encouraging the extension of already existing activities
and the adoption of new measures, a grant has been voted by Parliament in aid
of expenditure incurred by Local Authorities, and Voluntary Societies, in carrying
out improved schemes of work.
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