Only a Baby Gone: Child Health & Welfare in Newfoundland before 1949
Boulder Books is proud to release its latest book, “Only a Baby Gone: Child Health & Welfare in Newfoundland before 1949,” by Dr. Rick Cooper. The book is a shocking history of childhood child mortality in pre-Confederation Newfoundland and the lessons it provides for care in the twenty-first century.
Pre-confederation Newfoundland was a challenging place to grow up, especially for children in low-income families. Infectious diseases—including cholera, typhus, smallpox, tuberculosis, diphtheria, gastroenteritis, and whooping cough—circulated unchecked. Poverty, poor sanitation, ignorance, and isolation coupled with poor transportation compounded the effects of poor health. Health care was difficult to access, particularly in outport communities.
In Only a Baby Gone, pediatrician Rick Cooper explores these and other challenges, painting a somber picture of the early days of Newfoundland society.
The official launch of Only a Baby Gone will take place Thursday February 27, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, at Wedgewood Cafe (17 Elizabeth Ave., St. John’s). Snacks and refreshments will be available.
About the author
Dr. Rick Cooper has spent much of his career as a teaching physician and practicing pediatrician at the Janeway Hospital in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He retired as a faculty member of Memorial University’s medical school in 2011. He is a Professor Emeritus.
Dr. Cooper is a multiple recipient of the Silver Orator Award, which is given to the professor who has provided the best lectures with respect to content, style, humour, and aptness. Dr. Cooper has also been awarded the Royal College Mentor of the Year for Atlantic Canada, the Dr. Craig Loveys Teaching Award, and is a recipient of the Royal College Specialist of the Year Award for Atlantic Canada.