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9
Vital Statistics.
Infants dying in Institutions number 9, including 4 illegitimate.
While the mortality of legitmate infants is 89.6 for every 1,000
births, that for illegitmate infants reaches the appalling rate of 461
per 1,000 births. Nothing can show more plainly the fate of the
"not wanted" child.
5 deaths were due to Accident or Violence.
Congenital Malformations account for 5 deaths.
Syphilis and Tuberculosis account for 3 deaths.
17 deaths were accounted for by Ante-natal conditions on the
part of the mother.
Two of the deaths, viz., Convulsions and Syncope, are so illdefined
as to be impossible to classify.
So that only 14 deaths can be really classed as preventable,
and coming within the scope of the work of the Health Visitors.
1 have gone into this infantile mortality in detail, because I am
disappointed at the high rate of mortality. However, we cannot
control deaths in Institutions, nor deaths from violence, nor
those arising from malformations. What we must aim at is by
advice to the expectant mother to do our best towards keeping her
in good health, and helping her to go to her full term of
pregnancy. Many infant deaths are the result of prevailing social
conditions, such as worry, overcrowding, too short intervals
between pregnancies, women working in an advanced state of
pregnancy, and recreation taken without due regard to health and
exercise.
We have tried to secure the co operation of the Midwives in
the District in regard to Ante-natal work, but have failed. The
reason is not difficult to find. The Midwife's first business is her
income and the size of her clientele, which she has no desire to
lose, nor to share her responsibilities for such with another body.
If the Midwives' income was made secure by the Local Authority,
and a certain number of beds set aside in the District for her cases
by the Local Authority, then she would probably join the Ante-natal
Campaign. I am convinced that the only way to do Ante-natal