NOVEMBER 1951

POOR BABY, SICK BABY--"In Great Britain a Child Health Survey found that high infant mortality was traceable to three chief afflictions of the poor: higher rates of premature birth, pneumonia and gastroenteritis. Though all socioeconomic groups have shown appreciable decreases in infant mortality since 1939, the improvement has been greatest in the wealthier categories, so that the medical advances of the last decade have actually widened the gap. Among all groups the greatest cause of death in the first month is premature birth. It is suggested that this excess is due to early childbearing, closely spaced births, poor prenatal care and excessive work during the last months of pregnancy."

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