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100
Tables No. 58 and 59 show that the proportion of infant
deaths amongst illegitimate children is very much greater
than amongst legitimate infants. During last year the rates
were 218 and 80 per 1,000 illegitmate and legitimate births
respectively. An illegitimate child at birth is in no way
less healthy than a legitimate one, and this enormous death
rate is due largely to lack of maternal care and nursing.
Causes and Prevention of Infant Mortality.—
During the year 1913 there were 337 deaths amongst
infants under one year of age. Of these, 124 died under
the age of four weeks, and their deaths are attributed in the
majority of cases to some congenital defect or weakness.
Many of these lives might have been saved with a good
system of antenatal work amongst expectant mothers.
The remaining 213 deaths occurring between the ages
of one month and one year may be classified as follows:—
CAUSES.
Diarrhoea, Enteritis 66
Measles 1
Whooping Cough 16
Bronchitis 17
Pneumonia 30
Tuberculosis 7
Wasting 20
Other diseases 56
Total 213
The majority of deaths from the above causes are not
only curable, but in many cases the disease itself is preventable,
and it is to deal with, amongst others, these conditions
both by way of prevention and cure that a scheme of
Child Welfare should be begun.