JOHN S. FUIyTON, M. D. 151 



CONCLUSIONS 



The phenomena of infant mortality must be examined in situ, 

 as they are unfolded under the biologic and social investments 

 of parenthood; for it is on the integrity of these investments 

 that economy of reproduction depends. 



Social, economic, and hygienic conditions, which affect the re- 

 productive group unfavorably, are in general associated with 

 relatively short duration of marriage, more numerous concep- 

 tions, more miscarriages, more live-born offspring, greater mor- 

 tality of infants and children, and therefore a lower net fertil- 

 ity than is observe under favorable social, economic, and hygienic 

 conditions. 



The great waste of reproductive effort occurs in the four 

 months preceding and nine months after the proper date of par- 

 turition. The centre of infantile mortality is probably located, 

 as Pearson suggests, in ante-natal time, about one month before 

 the proper birthday. 



The recorded post-natal mortality accounts for about half 

 (perhaps less) of the mortality occurring in the thirteen months 

 ending at the age of nine months. 



Of the recorded post-natal mortality, under the age of one 

 year, in the Registration Area, about one-third is due to ante- 

 natal causes. 



Of the recorded mortality from ante-natal causes, about one- 

 half is due to faulty or incomplete utero-gestation, and might 

 be avoided or amended by proper care of expectant mothers dur- 

 ing the last twelve weeks of pregnancy. 



The statistics of infant nortality should regularly account for 

 ante-natal mortality occurring in the last three months of gesta- 

 tion. Burial regulations should be amended so as to secure this 

 information. 



Deaths should be tabulated by single years of life up to the 

 age of ten years; by single months up to the age of twelve 

 months; by weeks to four weeks; by days to seven days. 



The age incidence of both morbidity and mortality in infancy 

 and childhood requires statement by minor units of age, in order 

 to disclose the mode of access of the communicable diseases to 

 the more restricted space of infancy and early childhood. The 

 distinctive form of several mortality curves, and the transposed 

 time relations of the corresponding morbidity curves, indicate a 

 certain chronologic order in the occurrence of these diseases, 

 and suggest that the hazards of adaptation tend to diminish as the 

 period of adaptation is prolonged. 



Among the post-natal causes of infant mortality, the diarrhoeas 

 are distinctively infantile. Infantile diarrhoea regularly increases 

 to epidemic magnitude in June, July and August. It is most 



