Perinatal Mortality

Sophisticated peoples have a low fertility and great concern for the welfare of their children. Their low birth rate is due to deliberate family limitation; besides planned parenthood, their desire for better living standards leads to emancipation of women, and later marriages. A century ago in Britain, when conditions of infant life were appalling, no less than 15 out of every 100 live born infants did not live to see their first birthday: at the same time, each year every 100 women of child-bearing age were producing 15 babies. Now, 97 per cent of infants survive their first year, but our potential mothers give birth at the annual rate of only 7.3 per cent. The immense gain in infant survival has compensated for the losses due to lowered fertility. However, the point has now almost been reached where no further decreases in infant and child mortality are possible, and even if the present low mortalities Were reduced to zero the increase in population would be negligible. If a fall in population is to be avoided it is necessary either to reduce reproductive wastage at an earlier