5,000 BABY LIVES

Evening Star, Issue 25168, 6 May 1944, Page 5

5,000 BABY LIVES

More than 5,000 children who could be saved die in Scotland every year before they reach the age of one year.

Sir John Boyd Orr, the nutrition; expert, and members of a committee which investigated with, him the .problem of infantile mortality in. Scotland, reach this conclusion iu their report. It is an indictment of bad housing, inadequate feeding, and insufficient hospital and medical care for mothers and children. Mr Thomas Johnston, Secretary for Scotland, to whom the report has been made, described it as'." momentous." The report reveals that Scotland every year is losing more children before birth, at birth, and after birth, than any of 17 nations, which include the dominions, the United States, and all the countries of Western Europe," except Spain and Portugal. The committee, which include* leading medical experts, _ take such a 6erious view of the position that Scotland, they say, cannot wait until formal town planning is prepared for post-war housing schemes for the people. They urge that temporary housing schemes be 'built at the earliest possible moment to take the people out of thecongested areas. . Their investigations covered mainly; the period 1934-38, during which time Scotland had an infantile mortality rate of 77 per 1,000 births, compared with 57 in England and Wales.