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15
Brought Forward 9
Industrial Accidents:
(Males 46, 42, 30 and 28) 4
Misadventure:
(Males 71, 60 and 46, Female 36) 4
Complications of surgical operations:
(Male 50, Female 8) 2
Asphyxia due to Inhalation of vomit:
(Male 2 months) 1
Starvation and neglect:
(Male 61) 1
Suicide:
(Males 74, 60 and 55, Female 60 (Coal
gas poisoning), Male 70 (Drowning),
Female 49 (Razor)) 6
Total 27
Infant Mortality
There were 21 deaths among infants under one year of age thus
constituting an infant mortality rate of 30 Of these 13 occurred in
the neonatal period constituting a neonatal mortality rate of 19.
The corresponding rates for England & Wales were 25 and 18 (1954)
respectively. There were no deaths of illegitimate infants.
Although the rates have been rather high in the last two years it
must be remembered that with small numbers fluctuations are considerable.
The quinquennial infant mortality rate has, however,
fallen from 33 in the years 1946 to 1950 to 24 in the past five years
and the neonatal mortality rate from 18 to 17. We may thus be
reasonably satisfied that the remarkable improvement in the chances
of survival for each new baby born is being continued though at a
slower rate.
Congenital malformations and immaturity continue, nevertheless,
to take a heavy toll of infant life. They must either be due to
hereditary factors or to the condition of the pregnant mother but we
remain in most cases ignorant of the causes and in consequence further
preventive measures are difficult.