[The premises of a policy of early childhood during the second empire: The association for the care of lying-in women]. / Les prémisses d'une politique de la petite enfance sous le Second Empire: l'Association des femmes en couches de Mulhouse.

As early as the 1830's, the social elite of Mulhouse was aware of the higher infant mortality in the working class. A family policy was adopted only during the Second Empire: the consciousness of the failure of the first philanthropic measures explains why the manufacturers decided to take direct responsibility for the working class family. The demographic preoccupations are directly linked to philanthropy. This paper analises the principles and evaluates the results of the Association for the care of lying-in women.