The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-02-18
EVEN BABIES GET
THE WORST OF IT
How Industrial Conditions At
feet Baby's Chance
of Living

How industrial conditions affect
baby's chance of living beyond its
first year is described in a report
on Tnfant Mortality in New Bed
ford" issued today by the children S
ment of labor
Unskilled and semi-skilled occupa-
tions predominant in the cotton in
dustry, and at the time the survey
was made, wages were low. A low
income was accompanied, as in other
industrial cities studied by the bu-
reau, by poor home sanitation, con-
gestiun, lack of adequate medical
care, and a mother who was over
worked, either in the factory or at
home.
In New Bedford, Mass.
Over half of the New Bedford
babies lived in the river section
where the worst living conditions in
the city were to be found. These
families of from Is to IS, including
dodgers, were in many cases crowd
ed together in five-room tenements.
Practically all the mothers work
ing in the cotton mills of New Bed
ford were in families where the
father earned less than the amount
necessary to maintain a decent
standard of living. Almost half of
all the mothers were gainfully en-
ployed, chiefly in the cotton mills,
during the year before the baby was
born, and two-fifths during the year
following the baby's birth Most of
these mothers worked during both
periods. The harmful results of
depriving a young baby of its moth
er's care and nursing is shown in
the fact that among the babies
whose mothers left them to go out
to work when the baby was less
than four months old, the mortality
was nearly twice the average rate.
The low income group showed a
high mortality rate while the group
having incomes sufficient to insure
proper care and surroundings for
the mothers and babies had a low
mortality rate. In the low wage
group 20 babies out of every hun
bred born alive, died before the end
of the first year. In the highest
wage group only six out of every
hundred babies died.
In Akron, Ohio.
The results of a study of infant
mortality in Akron, Ohio, are given
in a bulletin just issued by the
children's bureau of the United
States department of labor In the
year selected, the infant mortality
rate in the city was Sc per thousand
births. AS compared with other in
dustrial cities studied by the bureau,
Akron had relatively low rate. But
even this rate of sc is considerably
higher than rates already reached
in New Zealand cities, as in Dune
din, where the rate is only 46.
This report gives further evidence
of the fact shown in previous studies
Of infant mortality made by the
bureau that as fathers earnings in
crease, the infant mortality rate
falls. The death rate in families
where the fathers earnings were
not sufficient to provide medical
and nursing care, and other essen
tials for the care of children during
infancy was much higher than in
families with larger incomes.
The mortality among children of
native mothers was much lower than
among DdDieS Oh IOrelSn-DOTn HOJn-
ers, especially in digestive and in
respiratory diseases.
The death rate among babies who
were artificially fed was found to
be over four times as great as among
those who were breast fed.
The study, which was made before
Ohio was admitted into the birth
registration area, revealed an i'm
perfect birth registration. A thor
ough canvass of the city made in
connection with the study showed
that about IA per cent of the births
were not registered.
Since the time of the study, the
report shows, great improvements
have been made in the facilities of
the city health department. New
infant welfare stations have been
opened, and the number of visiting
nurses increased. The report points
out, however, that further increases
in these facilities are needed for
the adequate health protection of
Akron's babies and mothers.