192 THE TREND OF THE RACE 



born it was 128.1. The relatively preventable character of this 

 mortality is indicated by the fact that length of residence in the 

 United States was found to affect greatly the infant mortality of 

 the foreign born mothers; those mothers who had been here over 

 five years had an infant mortality rate of 165.7, while for those 

 who had been here less than that time the rate was 248.8. An 

 investigation of the infant mortality of Montclair, N. J., by the 

 Children's Bureau gave the infant mortality among the native 

 white women as 49, among the foreign born as 88.1, and among 

 the negroes 15 1.5. Wolf compiled statistics in Erfurt, Germany, 

 which indicated that out of the one thousand babies born, 



Dr. John Robertson found the infant mortality in Birmingham, 

 England, in 191 5 to be 200 per 1,000 among the poor, and 50 per 

 1,000 among the middle class and rich. He found that when the 

 father earned less than £1 a week if the mother were employed at 

 a factory the infant mortality was 203, if she were employed at 

 home or elsewhere it was 187, and if not employed 191. If the 

 father earned over £1 a week and the mother was employed in a 

 factory the infant mortality was 123, if employed at home or else- 

 where it was 53, and if she were unemployed, 99. 



Undoubtedly a large amount of infant mortality is the result 

 of the ignorance and inexperience of mothers. Poor milk, im- 

 proper feeding, inadequate medical attention, and unsanitary liv- 

 ing conditions are responsible for many deaths of infants especially 

 among the poor. Undoubtedly as a result of these conditions 

 large numbers of normal and healthy infants perish. Several 

 epidemics common to infancy and childhood are practically as apt 

 to take the strong as the weak, and with improper care during 

 illness even an exceptionally strong child may die. Many stu- 

 dents of the subject consider that the infant death rate is for the 

 most part quite indiscriminate and non-selective in its action. 



