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From the foregoing Table, No. 3, it will be observed
that during the five years 1909-13, 1,852 deaths from all
causes occurred under one year of age, 860 between one and
five years of age, while only 321 occurred between five and fifteen
years of age, during what is practically the school age
period. In other words, it may be said that the deaths of
infants under one year of age are more than twice the number
of deaths occurring during the four years at ages from
one—five years, and more than five times the number of
deaths occurring during the ten years of school life, i.e.,
at ages from five—fifteen years. In this connection it is
especially important to observe that a large number of infant
deaths represents a still larger amount of infant deterioration,
as, after all, the dead child is next of kin to the defective
child.
The birth rate in Willesden has steadily fallen since the
year 1875, when it was 44.7 per thousand, to the year 1913,
when it was 24.7 per thousand of the population, which birth
rate is the lowest yet recorded in Willesden. A similar
statement applies to the country generally. As, therefore,
a smaller and smaller number of children is born, it is of
all the more importance that every possible step should be
taken to save infant life, and at the same time raise the
standard of health of all children.
The causes enumerated in Table No. 3 account for 1,403
deaths, out of a total number of 1,852 deaths of infants
under one year of age during the five year period 1909-13,
and it will, therefore, be seen that the above-named represent
the principal causes of the deaths of infants. The
large bulk of infant deaths can accordingly be saved by a
successful campaign against these six conditions, namely :—
1. Congenital Malformation, Premature Birth,
Atrophy, Debility, Marasmus.
2. Diarrhoea, Enteritis.