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24
Distribution of Infantile Deaths
The infantile death-rates in the several wards of the
Borough since 1901, when particulars of the localities of births
were first obtained, are given in the following table : —

It will be noticed that except in 1902 Walham Ward has
always had the highest death-rate, which is due to the heavy
mortality among infants in the " Avenues " on the north of
Fulham Road.
Deaths of Illegitimate Infants.
Eighty-six of the children who died before attaining the age
of one year were illegitimate, the mortality among them being in
the proportion of 328 deaths to every 1,000 births, compared with
132 deaths to every 1,000 births among children born in wedlock.
In the subjoined table will be found the causes of and the ages
at death of the illegitimate infants. It will be seen that only
21 per cent, of the deaths of illegitimate infants occurred during
the first four weeks of life, compared with 27 per cent, of the
deaths of legitimate, but there was a marked fall in the mortality
of the latter after the first four weeks, there being nearly 30 per
cent, fewer deaths at the ages of one and two months than in
the first month of life, while among illegitimates there were
50 per cent, more deaths in the second and third months