Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-03
INFANT MORTALITY.
BY H. Addington Bruce.

by n. AuullSlOH DIuCS.
1~HE children's bureau of the United States de-
partment of aabor has recently completed d
statistical survey of infant mortality in the
New Hampshire city of Manchester. The results
Of this survey do not make pleasant reading.
But they embody facts that ought to be known
and prayerfully pOndered--by all persons really
interested in the welfare of their country
The survey was based primarily on interviews
with the babies mothers 1t is described as being
absolutely democratic in scope" 1t included =.
study of all babies whose births registered in
a single year and whose families could be found.
OF these babies it appears one out of every six
(165 per 10000 died during the first year of life.
This certainly, is startlingy high mortality
It's significance increases when viewed in the light
of the bureaus analysis of the economic status OF
the parents of the babies surveyed. Thus we are
told:
Nearly half of the 1,643 babies had fathers
whose earnings were less than $3.50 year, and
moro than one-eighth of the babies had fathers
earning less than $3.50 year. Only one in sixteen
(6.4 Per cent? had fathers earning as much as
$3.50.
THE death rate among the babies in the poor.
est families was than four times high as
among those in the highest wage group
'"TEe death rate for babies whose homes were
in one-famiy houses was 861 per 1000. In houses
containing seven or more families, 1865 per 1000.
Similarly the rate showed a steady increase
according to the number of persons per room. 1t
was 1888 per 1000 where the family had mora
rooms than persons; and 245.9 where there were
two more persons per room"
Also:
THE mothers of 267 babies went out to worn
during the first year of the babys life, and these
babies had death rate considerably higher than
those whose mothers worked at home not
gainfully employed.
The rate is especially high-277.3 per 1000
among the 119 babies whose mothers went out to
work before the babies were four months Old
No more convincing demonstration of the rela
ton between poverty and infant mortality could
be asked.
Nor in face of statistics like these, it be
doubted that the thing indispensable to reduc-
ing the infant death rate is to grappe successfully
with the problem of poverty.
We beast of American standards of living. But
clearly in industrial cities like Manchester at all
events, these standards not yet high enough.
A change must come. Better conditions must
be secured for workers in the mass. There is
alternative.
Remember, the statistics just quoted deal only
with infant mortality ii the first year of life. OF
the FIVE infants surviving out of every six by no
means all reach manhood and womanhoOd.
There is a further drain by death during child
hood and adolescence. And, be sure, the drain is
greatest among the children of the very poor.
National security requires that this drain be
checked. Common insists that to check il
poverty must be made object of national attack.
Poverty is not a mere incident in civilization,
as many people seem to think. 1t is real menace
to civilization
Copyright 1917, by the Associated Newspapers