? starter activity

1
? starter activity
Why are infant mortality rates in the UK amongst
the lowest in the world?
2
Why did fewer children die after 1900?
? Aims

• To understand why infant mortality rates
  decreased so much in the early twentieth century

3
? Your task

• Read the information on p. 160 and list the
  reasons why so many children were dying before
  1900

Victorian street urchins
4
Reasons for high infant mortality

• Diarrhoea caught from contaminated food and water
• Insanitary living conditions
• Badly ventilated housing
• Contaminated milk
• Overcrowding
• Poor childcare, e.g. mothers accidentally
  smothering their children

5
? Your task

• Read p. 161-3 and list the reasons why infant
  mortality rates decreased.

Workhouse children receiving their meals
6
Reasons for the decrease in infant mortality

• Salvation Army - provided farthing breakfasts
• Committee on Physical Deterioration - to
  investigate poor health of nation alarmed by
  condition of recruits for the Boer War (1900)
• Better education in schools advice on diet and
  hygiene
• Rise in family incomes more women working
• Decline in infectious diseases
• Govt measures .

7
Children queueing for a Farthing breakfast
8
Government measures

• 1902 Compulsory training for midwives
• 1906 meals for school children
• 1909 Back to back houses banned
• 1918 Health visitors introduced
• 1919 New building programme for working-class
  homes

9
Local authorities were forced to destroy slums
like these and build better housing for the
working classes
10
WWII

• Immunisation - 1940 campaign against diphtheria
• Food rationing improvements in diet
• Evacuation highlighted differences in living
  standards
• Improved medicines - penicillin
• 1942, William Beveridge proposed free national
  health service

11
Why were posters like this one so effective in
improving public health?
12
? Role play

• Right your own 30 second radio advert
  highlighting the important steps the government
  has taken to improve health for children.

13
? Plenary

• What were the main reasons why child mortality
  decreased between 1900 and 1945?
• What factors made the biggest difference, e.g.
  new technology, war, government etc?