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59
Infant Mortality.
131 deaths (77 male, 54 female) of infants under one year
of age occurred, being an infant mortality rate of 73.1
compared with 65 for the country as a whole, and 62 for last
ear.
The rate amongst legitimate children is 70.4 and illegitimate
170.2.
Last year it was pointed out that there were certain factors
operation, which made for a low Infant Mortality rate.
Amongst these were:—
1. That female births exceeded male. In 1928 this district
returns to normal by showing an excess of male births.
The male infant mortality rate works out at 83.8 and
female 61.8, compared with last year's figures of 80.1
and 45.
A relative increase then of the male group with its
higher mortality rate raises the figure.
2. That the illegitimate birth rate was low. This figure has
risen slightly.
3 That the female premature births were abnormally low.
It was pointed out in 1927 report that—
"should the premature births amongst females occur
in any year at the normal rate, and other conditions
remain the same, our infant mortality rate will rise to
the rate obtaining for the country, and this without the
healthiness of the locality diminishing."
The rate increased from 3.2 in 1927 to 11.3 in 1928,
and accounting for most of the rise in the female rate
explains most of the rise in the total rate.
4. The omplete absence of Measles, Whooping Cough,
and Infectious diseases as a cause of death. This year
there were 7 deaths from Whooping Cough and one
each from Measles and Diphtheria.
The only cause of death which demonstrates excessive
incidence and which counts for the total rate exceeding that
obtaining in the country as a whole, is Diarrhoea and Enteritis
amounting to 25% of the infant mortality rate and particularly
affecting males.