M 145-
Although most Chinese babies are breast fed, the milk is no doubt inadequate and feeding irregular owing to the poor condition of the mothers, many of whom continue their hard manual labour immediately on rising from their confinement. Moreover, they probably share in the lack of Calcium and other Accessory Food Factors which is so common, even in domestic animals, in this part of the world.
The unhealthy custom of contracting and binding the chest is also an important factor and every effort should be made to discourage it, especially in young girls.
Rickets and other deficiency diseases are seldom noted as causes of Infant deaths but I feel sure they must occur. The sunrays are largely absorbed by the mist and smoke, or completely cut off in the narrow, dust-laden streets. Generally speaking, the urbanised Chinese are not an outdoor people and in the towns, here, they are grossly overcrowded.
(b) Prematurity and Still births.
These are both important additions to the mortality lists. Most of the Prematurity cases are from the Mission hospitals and other charitable institutions, near which a large number of moribund infants are 'dumped' every week. They also occur frequently in the Coroner's Returns. The deaths for 1928, under the heading "Prematurity", were:-
Chinese Non-Chinese Total 316 2 318It must be understood that a clear distinction is drawn between the viable (over 7 months' gestation) child which has breathed (i.e. lived) and, therefore, has a cause of death (Prematurity, etc.) and foetal products which were viable but still-born or non-viable (under 7 months). The latter, strictly speaking, have no place in a 'causes-of-death' return, as they have no extra-uterine life but, as the number (taken chiefly from Coroner's returns on 'dumped' bodies) is considerable and the wastage of potential life serious, they are specially mentioned here:
Still-births and non-viable Foeti recorded in 1928 were:- Chinese Non-Chinese Total 640 7 647M 145-
Although most Chinese babies are breast fed, the milk is no doubt inadequate and feeding irregular owing to the poor condition of the mothers, many of whom continue their hard manual labour immediately on rising from their confinement. Moreover, they probably share in the lack of Calcium and other Accessory Food Factors which is so common, even in domestic animals, in this part of the world.
The unhealthy custom of contricting and binding the chest is also an important factor and every effort should be made to discourage it, especially in young girls.
Rickets and other deficiency diseases are seldom noted as causes of Infant deaths but I feel sure they must occur. The sunrays are largely absorbed by the mist and smoke, or com- pletely cut off in the narrow, dust-laden streets. Generally speaking, the urbanised Chinese are not an outdoor people and in the towns, here, they are grossly overcrowded.
(b) Prematurity and Still births.
These are both important additions to the mortality lists. Most of the Prematurity cases are from the Mission hospitals and other charitable institutions, near which a large number of mori- bund infants are 'dumped' every week. They also occur fre- quently in the Coroner's Returns. The deaths for 1928, under the heading "Prematurity", were:-
Chinese Non-Chinese
Total
316 2
318
It must be understood that a clear distinction is drawn be- tween the viable (over 7 months' gestation) child which has breathed (i.e. lived) and, therefore, has a cause of death (Pre- maturity, etc.) and foetal products which were viable but still- born or non-viable (under 7 months). The latter, strictly speaking, have no place in a 'causes-of-death' return, as they have no extra-uterine life but, as the number (taken chiefly from Coroner's returns on 'dumped' bodies) is considerable and the wastage of potential life serious, they are specially mentioned here :
Still-births and non-viable Foeti recorded in 1928 were:-
Chinese Non-Chinese
Total
640
7
647
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