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15. Age.—Infants under 1 year, and very young
children, furnish nearly the whole of the deaths from
diseases classed under Diarrhceal Diseases.
Summary.
From the above report it will be clear that there are
many factors at work causing infantile mortality, some of
which we can cope with now, whilst others we must leave
to future legislation.
Amongst the most urgent matters requiring legislation,
with a view to reducing the wastage of child lives, are the
following :—
(a) The earlier registration of births (say within seven
days), which would in my opinion, obviate the necessity
for notification in addition to registration, and would be far
less troublesome and confusing to the public. The shorter
period for registration would also prevent the leakages due
to the present long period of 42 days, in which period the
parent or parents often remove from the place of birth.
(b) The medical certification and registration of all
stillbirths.
(c) The extension of the existing legislation regarding
the milk supply so as to cover dirty milk and all diseases
of cows likely to affect their milk, and so as to prohibit the
use of chemical preservatives in milk sold for human
consumption.
(d) That all preparations offered or sold as food for
infants should be certified by a Government analyst as
non-injurious, and that each packet should contain its
analysis.