The definite figures used are taken from the Mortality Statistics,
United States Census, and they cover the year 1912, which is the last
year for which we have definite information. Reliable mortality
statistics are given only in a part of the country, which is not to our
credit. The population is reported in the volume as 92,309,348. The
registration area, which is the area giving mortality statistics,
contains 53,843,896 people. In this area the total deaths are as
follows:
Under one year.............. 154,373
Under ten years............. 235,262
Taking it for granted that the infant and child mortality among the
unregistered people is the same, we get the following number of deaths
annually among children in the United States, in round numbers:
Under one year.............. 280,000
Under ten years............. 425,000
This is a very conservative estimate and 300,000 is usually given as the
number of deaths annually among babies under the age of one year.
Even under ideal conditions a baby would occasionally die, but the
deaths would be so rare that they would be the cause of surprised
comment. Some become parents who have no right to be, and they bring
children into the world who are not physically fit to survive, and these
generally die within a few days or weeks of birth.
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