Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-24
CHILD MORTALITY,
n -
Census Report on Death
Rate Among Children.
Declares That Greater Part Of
Diseases Are PrevenisbIe.
Cause. Not Successfully co,nba.ed
Index Of Social Welfare.

washington, Sept. 23.-(SpcciaD.-
Of the total number of 1872. 53S deaths
IN 1909, in the Census Bureaus death
registration area, representing a frac.
t,on over % per cent. of the provision
ally estimated population of CONT
mental United States. no less than 1856.
o'f' OF 2b.s per Cent, We're Of chill
uren under years of age, and no.
oo'' OF I3l per cent, We're of infants
uhdcr year of aSe. 1t appears in the
Census Bureaus forthcoming bulletin
on mortality statistics for 1909.
In general one death out OF five that
occurred during the year 1909 was of
an infant under l year of age, and a
little more than one death in tour. or
ABOUT q per cent, was of children un.
der years of age. The registration
cities showed slightly higher and the
rural part of the registration states
showed slightly lower proportions than
those for the registration area as a
whole
The proportion of deaths of children
under years of age to the total deaths
that occurred in the year is far greater
than that of any other five-year period.
fact which. the bulletin states, does
not indicate necessarily that the actual
mortality or death rate per 1000 per-
sons living is higher than that at Ger
tain other periods, especially those at
the more advanced ages. The early
years Of life, however. are of special
Importance. not only because of the
large number OF deaths that occur
therein but also because, perhaps in
greater proportion than that of any
other period Of life. a great part OF
these deaths are entirely preventable,
and the causes which produce them are
not being successfully combated.
Great progress has been made in
the reduction of infant mortality in
England and other foreign countries
in recent years, and special organ
ization has been formed lately in this
country known as the American AS
ISOLATION for the Study and Prevention
of Infant Mortality, whose object IS
to coordinate all the sanitary agencies
available for the special purpose of
reducing the number of preventable
deaths of infants. 1t would he OK
J tremely desirable for such an impor-
| tant purpose that reliable statistics OF
infant mortality should be available
| for the entire registration area. ana,
as soon as possible, for the entire
| United States, with which the regis
| tration area for deaths will ultimately
be co-ternlinous. The correct state
ment of infant mortality. however,
which is technical term denoting the
number of deaths of infants under
year of age per 1000 living births, de-
! ponds on the accurate registration OF
| births, which is scarcely to b" founo
in the United States, the bulletin
| states.
I'm default of the proper statement
| of infant mortality. based on com
parison of the deaths of infants unde1
l year and the registered births. re-
| course may be had to the ratio be-
| tween the deaths of infants Nnder
wear of age and the population ny sen
| under ! year, but the latter ratio Is
| unsatisfa Glory for many reasons ant
| is not available except by process OF
estimation for intercensal years
| very crude means of Judging Oh the
| relative condition of given area d.
4 regards the general extent of intan'
4 and child mortality is to compare the
| total number of deaths of infants uii'
| dor wear and of children under
i ,,oars Of age with the total NUMBER OF
4 deaths registered for the year. otllei