Infant Mortality

The Children's Bureau of the Department of Labor reported its findings in its study of 23,000 babies in eight cities during their first years. With respect to mortality, it was found:

1) More than half the babies who died in the first year, died in the first month.

2) Irrespective of all other factors, the infant deathrate varied inversely with the father's income.

3) Mortality of males was one fourth higher than that of females.

4) Mortality among exclusively artificially fed babies was three to four times higher than that among exclusively breast-fed and about twice as high as that among partially breastfed.

5) Mortality per thousand was: from cause peculiar to infancy (including prenatal and natal conditions), 36.1; from gastric and intestinal diseases, 32.4; respiratory diseases, 19.6; epidemic and communicable diseases, 7.1.

6) Those born in June showed the highest mortality; those in August the lowest.

7) The age of the mother did not influence the mortality rate except in the case of the first born, among whom the rate was higher when the mother was under 20 or over 40.