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57
Infant Deaths.
From the previous table it will be seen that the number of infant
deaths was 58 ; the infantile mortality is 71 per 1,000.
In 1936 the rate was 81, the increased rate that year being
almost wholly due to deaths from measles and whooping cough.
In 1935 the rate was 59 per 1,000. Respiratory diseases caused
18 deaths last year as compared with 10 in 1935.
Neo-natal Mortality.
By Neo-natal Deaths we mean the deaths of children under
28 daysold and in 1937,18 deaths were registered under this heading,
equal to a rate of 22-2 per 1,000 live births registered as compared
with a rate of 17-9 in 1936. Below will be found the number of
neo-natal deaths in the Borough for the last 14 years.
Year.
Under 7 days.
7 days and
under 28 days.
Rate per 1,000
live births
registered.
1924 31 18 29.4
1925 18 14 18.2
1926 32 13 27.1
1927 20 12 22.1
1928 24 13 25.2
Average
5 years.
24.4
1929 26 13 28.4
1930 24 10 26.2
1931 21 9 23.8
1932 18 7 22.6
1933 17 4 20.8
24.36
1934 7 8 15.3
1935 15 5 21.5
1936 13 2 17.9
1937 16 2 22.2
It will be noted that of the 58 infants who died 16 were in
their first week of life, whilst 26 were under three months, indicating
that many of the deaths were due to causes operating during the
period of expectant motherhood.
Congenital conditions.—Congenital defects were the cause
of 6 deaths last year as compared with 4 in 1933.
These conditions in our present state of knowledge cannot be
prevented. They are usually such states as congenital heart
disease with malformation of the valves of the heart, patent ducts
of the heart which should have become occluded before birth,
or lungs which fail to expand.