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Infant Mortality. The deaths of infants under one year of age
in the Borough during the year 1907 numbered 667. This is a
decline of 54 on the number registered during the previous year.
The infant mortality therefore for the year 1907 is 116 per 1,000
births, that for 1906 being 123 per 1,000 births. The decline in the
infant death rate during last year equals 7 per 1,000 births. This
saving of infant life is no doubt largely to be ascribed to the low
temperature prevailing during the third quarter of last year, which
led to a diminished mortality from diarrhceal diseases.
Whilst this diminished infant death rate is encouraging, a rate
of 116 per 1,000 births must be regarded as enormous, and would,
I am sure, if properly appreciated, inspire amongst the members of
the municipal authority an earnest resolve to do something to still
further reduce the infant mortality of the Borough.
Appended is a table giving the causes of deaths under one year
in the Borough during 1907. From this it will be seen that 46 were
due to the common infectious diseases, 66 to diarrhceal diseases, 242
to wasting diseases, 37 to tuberculous diseases, and 276 to other
causes. The large number of deaths, 121, ascribed to premature
births calls for some comment.
Premature births may be regarded as due to either disease,
want of nutrition, or violence in the course of employment or otherwise.
How much is due respectively to each of these is impossible