Child hygiene / by S. Josephine Baker.

  • Sara Josephine Baker
Date:
[1925]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Child hygiene / by S. Josephine Baker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Low marriage rates almost invariably result in low birth rates, and the countries which are facing a constantly lower¬ ing birth rate are the ones that are searching for some method whereby marriage may be made more possible and attractive. Generally speaking, marriage to-day takes place at a later period—that is, at a higher age than it did fifty or even twenty-five years ago. This is largely due to economic conditions, but we must also recognize the fact that delay in marriage is also often due to a desire for a high standard of living and luxury. The economic in¬ dependence of women is a factor of great importance in the lowering of the marriage rate. High rents and in¬ creased cost of clothing and food must also be taken into consideration in determining the reasons for fluctuations in marriage rates. In the absence of other factors the marriage rate is usually a fair index of the relation of the average income to the standard of living. The character of the population of the community also influences the marriage rate. It may be low in small in¬ dustrial towns on account of the small number of marriage¬ able women. It may be high in the cities because of the number of people who come to the city from the surrounding country to be married and begin their married life. Mar¬ riage rates, therefore, must be taken with some degree of reservation, and at the best are only an index. It has been stated by Dr. I. S. Falk that under the prevailing conditions of mortality a family of six persons—two parents and four children—is only very slightly larger than that which is necessary to merely maintain the population, without allow¬ ing for growth and increase. Birth Statistics.—Accurate birth registration is the essen¬ tial foundation for all effective efforts to reduce infant mortality. Such accurate registration of births has been common in most of the European countries. In the United States, however, we have been greatly remiss in our realiza¬ tion of the importance of registering the birth of every person born. Only within recent years has there been con-
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