Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-05-24
GENERAL INFANT
DEATH RATE FOR
MONTCLA|R IS "a
Estimated Rate of 124 Per
1000 for Rest of the
County.

The children's bureau of the United
States department of Labor issued to-
day a report on infant mortality in
Montclair. The general infant death
rate of Montclair was found to be 81
per 1000 babies born i'm 1912. as against
an estimated rate of 12i for the birth
registration area of the country as a
whole
The Montclair rate varies, however.
Tor various sections of the city. In
the First ward, where the most favor
able conditions for living exist, the
rate was 80. On the other hand, the
Fourth ward, where so of the l13 ten
ement houses of the town are found,
the rate was 130 Here were found
the most con sd+ rnli-
tions in the town. From this ward
came in 1912 to the Board of Health
more complaints against nuisances,
including complaints of poor plumb
ing, than from any other ward in the
city.
1t is highly significant that in this
unfavorable ward, where in 1912 twice
as many babies died as in all the
other wards combined, the infant
death rate was gradually decreased.
until i'm 1914 it was lower than the
average for the entire city This
gratifying decrease says the report,
should probably be ascribed largely
to the development of the baby clinic,
with its follow-up visits of the nurse
to mothers i'm their homes, and to the
careful supervision by the Board of
Health of the housing and sanitatio
of this section
The report shows that the death
rate varied with the income. Among
families where the income was less
than S12 a week, the rate was more
than twice as high as among families
where the income was $23 or more
The fathers occupation gave some
indication of the trend of the infant
mortality rate. Where fathers were
professional or business men, the rate
was al. In the skilled trades group, it
rose to "A, while among babies whose
fathers were engaged in semi skilled
trades, unskilled trades and domestic
service, the rate was l01-more than
double the rate for professional men.
The mother who worked was more
likely to lose her baby. Out of the "a
babies of working mothers, died, as
against "A deaths among the 357
babies of nom working mothers. Au-
thorities agree that the mothers milk
is the best food for the baby. OF %
babies who died within the first year.
but after the first week. only were
exclusively breast fed, 6 were parity
breast fed and II were artiically fed
1t is pointed out that all the figures
quoted are too small to furnish a
basis for hard and fast conclusions
but they bear out the results of smi-
lar inArp Stio tinnS lnrcnr cCa 10
elsewhere.
In 1913 the health authorities of
Montclair asked the cooperation OF
the children's bureau in a piece OF
work which they wished to under
take. Two visiting nurses werc al
ready employed by the city, and it
was proposed that on their daily
rounds to the homes these nurses
should secure the information regard
ing babies, which was called for upon
the infant mortality schedule of tho
children's bureau.
Accordingly, schedules were fur
nished by the children's bureau and
an agent detailed to help in starting
the work in Montclair. The investi-
cation was entirely democratic. All
mothers of babies born in 1912 were
visited and consulted regarding the
care and home environment of the
babies during the frSt year. Inc IN
formation thus obtained by the nurses
will undoubtedly be of great value to
the town in it's health work.
1t is interesting to find that of the
10 cities in the United States with a
population approximating that OF
Montclair, i'm 1918 Montclair ranked
fourth in its per capita expenditure
for health and sanitation. The Mont
clair inquiry is the work of its citi
zens and the chldren's bureau jointly.
1t is especially valuable as showing
how young children live and die in a
particular favored suburban COM
munity. in charge of a notably eff
cient health officer.