starter activity

Why are infant mortality rates in the UK amongst the lowest in the world?

Why did fewer Why did fewer children die after children die after

1900?1900?To understand why infant To understand why infant

mortality rates decreased so mortality rates decreased so much in the early twentieth much in the early twentieth

centurycentury

Aims

Your taskYour task

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

Victorian street urchins

Reasons for high infant Reasons for high infant mortalitymortality

Diarrhoea caught from contaminated Diarrhoea caught from contaminated food and waterfood and water

Insanitary living conditionsInsanitary living conditions Badly ventilated housingBadly ventilated housing Contaminated milkContaminated milk OvercrowdingOvercrowding Poor childcare, e.g. mothers Poor childcare, e.g. mothers

accidentally smothering their childrenaccidentally smothering their children

Your taskYour task

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

Workhouse children receiving their meals

Reasons for the decrease in Reasons for the decrease in infant mortalityinfant mortality

Salvation Army - Salvation Army - provided farthing provided farthing breakfastsbreakfasts

Committee on Physical Deterioration - Committee on Physical Deterioration - to to investigate poor health of nation alarmed by investigate poor health of nation alarmed by condition of recruits for the Boer War (1900)condition of recruits for the Boer War (1900)

Better education in schools Better education in schools – advice on – advice on diet and hygienediet and hygiene

Rise in family incomesRise in family incomes – more women – more women workingworking

Decline in infectious diseasesDecline in infectious diseases Govt measuresGovt measures …. ….

Children queueing for a ‘Farthing breakfast’

Government measuresGovernment measures

1902 Compulsory training for 1902 Compulsory training for midwivesmidwives

1906 meals for school children1906 meals for school children 1909 Back to back houses banned1909 Back to back houses banned 1918 Health visitors introduced1918 Health visitors introduced 1919 New building programme for 1919 New building programme for

working-class homesworking-class homes

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

WWIIWWII

Immunisation - 1940 campaign Immunisation - 1940 campaign against diphtheriaagainst diphtheria

Food rationing – improvements in dietFood rationing – improvements in diet Evacuation highlighted differences in Evacuation highlighted differences in

living standardsliving standards Improved medicines - penicillinImproved medicines - penicillin 1942, William Beveridge proposed 1942, William Beveridge proposed

free national health servicefree national health service

Why were posters like this one so

effective in

improving public

health?

Role playRole play

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

PlenaryPlenary

What were the main reasons why What were the main reasons why child mortality decreased between child mortality decreased between 1900 and 1945? 1900 and 1945?

What factors made the biggest What factors made the biggest difference, e.g. new technology, war, difference, e.g. new technology, war, government etc?government etc?