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Social History of Medicine 1993 6(1):51-83; doi:10.1093/sochis/6.1.51
© 1993 by Society for the Social History of Medicine
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Mothers, Babies, and the Mothers and Babies Movement: Australia Through Depression and War

PHILIPPA MEIN SMITH*

* Department of History, University of Canterbury PO Box 4800, Christchurch, Newzealand


  Abstract

SUMMARY The remarkable declines in Australian infant mortality rates from 1870 to 1950 were part of the famous demographic transition that was shared by European and English-speaking countries. Mothers and babies movements claimed, and have often been given, the credit for much of this improvement, at least since 1900.

This paper focuses on mothers' practices. The key issue is whether or not the advice presented to mothers resulted in desirable changes in behaviour and thereby reduced the infant death rate. The paper finds that prescriptions are not the same as practices and that prescription and practice exhibited different chronologies of change. Until 1930 in Australia, the proportion of babies breast-fed remained fairly stable at a high level; and from the 1930s breast-feeding declined despite the expansion of the local infant welfare movement.

We cannot judge the relative effectiveness of alleged main contributors to the infant mortality decline without considering mothers' behaviour. ‘Mothering’, however enjoined, varied in its effectiveness by class. Mothers often rationally, or by necessity, ignored the experts.

Keywords: mothers; babies; demographic transition; infant mortality; infant welfare; child rearing practices; infant feeding; mothering; class; social reform


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