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56
Infant Deaths.
From the previous table it will be seen that the number of infant
deaths was 54 ; the infantile mortality is 73 per 1,000.
In 1937 the rate was 71, and in 1936 the rate was 81 per 1,000.
Neo-natal Mortality.
By Neo-natal Deaths we mean the deaths of children under
28 days old and in 1938, 19 deaths were registered under this heading,
equal to a rate of 27.1 per 1,000 live births registered as compared
with a rate of 22.2 in 1937. Below will be found the number of
neo-natal deaths in the Borough for the last 14 years.
Rate per 1,000
7 days and live births
Year. Under 7 days. under 28 days. registered.
1924 31 18 29.4
1925 18 14 18.2 Average
1926 32 13 27.1 5 years.
1927 20 12 22.1 24.4
1928 24 13 25.2
1929 26 13 28.4
1930 24 10 26.2
1931 21 9 23.8 24.36
1932 18 7 22.6
1933 17 4 20.8
1934 7 8 15.3
1935 15 5 21.5
1936 13 2 17.9 20.8
1937 16 2 22.2
1938 14 5 27.1
It will be noted that of the 54 infants who died 14 were in
their first week of life, whilst 28 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
4 deaths last year as compared with 6 in 1937.
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.