Infant mortality in Scotland / the report of a sub-committee of the Scientific Advisory Committee.
- Great Britain. Department of Health for Scotland. Scientific Advisory Committee on Medical Administration and Investigation.
- Date:
- 1943
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Infant mortality in Scotland / the report of a sub-committee of the Scientific Advisory Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![i The data collected in Table 46 suggest that there may have been a decline over a period of years, probably not in the rate of establishment but in the maintenance of breast feeding, and this would be in accord with continental records. Yet, during this period there has been a reduction of infant mortality so that, if the decline of breast feeding is real and significant, the effect has been offset by other changes. Table 46.—Incidence of Breast Feeding at Different Dates Per cent. of cases. t No. of & : cases. Sr. At 2 weeks. | At 3 months. | At 6 months. Liverpool, ¢ . 1918} 294 79 52 33 [Robinson, 1939], : . 19387} 439 88 48 29 Ilford, . : 1920-24) 1014 87 — 58 [Gordon, 1942], . 19S8) 793 | 73 — 44. Aberdeen, City, 1926; 1892 — — 52 [Report of M.O.H., 1926] [Mackintosh, unpublished], 1941-42} 1805 — 4 37 St. Andrews Burgh, . 1922-26) 575 — — 62 [Report of M.O.H.,1931], 1927-31} 621 — — 59 More important evidence is afforded by two studies of the incidence of breast feeding in relation to social class (Table 47). The percentage of lactations established is highest in Aberdeen’s well-to-do subjects and about equal in Ilford, in both districts, and the Aberdeen poor district. The big difference is in the maintenance of lactation. The well-to-do Aberdeen women, who were - possibly of higher economic class than the Ilford good district, were outstand- ingly successful and the Aberdeen poor district outstandingly unsuccessful. Table 47.—Incidence of Breast Feeding : Social Classes Compared Per cent. of cases. No. of cases. At 2 weeks. | At 3 months. | At 6 months. Ilford, 1938— Good district . : . ; 549 79 — 51 Poor district . : : ; 487 79 — 41 (Gordon, 1942.] Aberdeen City— Nursing Home : ; - Pe 205 87 SL 80 Poor district . i 205 8l 47 29 [Mackintosh, unpublished. ] It appears from these three tables that the endocrine regulation at parturi- tion is sufficient in at least 70 per cent. of cases to initiate lactation. The proportion is certainly higher than 70 and probably at least 90 per cent., because a number of lactations are spoiled by mismanagement at so early a stage that they would not appear at two weeks. This is illustrated by a recent special study of the histories of 100 consecutive infants admitted to Edinburgh Sick Children’s Hospital (McNeil, unpublished data). In 28 cases, breast feeding had been given up by three days after birth. At two weeks of age 39 infants, at three months 58, and at six months 76 were no longer breast fed. In 13 out of the 28 cases where breast feeding was given up between birth and three days, the excuse was “ lack of milk,’”’ but, at that time, lactation is only being initiated and it is impossible to judge whether it would be successful or not. There is no information to show in what proportion of cases failure to establish lactation can be attributed to the premature ending of pregnancy or](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32174640_0059.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
