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46
Respiratory complaints and pneumonia cause approximately
20% of all deaths occurring in children under 12 months of age.
To a large extent this is due to the fact that isolation of a causal
organism can take anything up to 30 days. A new diagnostic technique,
based on fluoroscopic analysis, enabling the detection and
diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus within a few hours has been
perfected recently in Newcastle. Such a breakthrough is likely to
save countless infant lives and may well prove to be a major success
in the fight to reduce infantile mortality.
Clearly, substantial reductions in present infant death rates will
come only by the practical application of modern scientific knowledge,
a corollary to which will be a change from natural to planned
parenthood and from natural to artificial selection. Eventually,
society will have to face the complicated medical, social, educational
and religious problems inherent in such a policy.
The present infant mortality rate for the Borough, viz., 20.27,
is an increase of 1.97 over that for the previous year with rates of
18.3 and 18.4 being returned for England and Wales and Greater
London respectively. Inner London recorded a rate of 19.8.
Neonatal Mortality.—From the accompanying table it can be
seen that neonatal mortality, i.e. infants dying before attaining the
age of one month, accounted for 50 deaths, equivalent to 68.5% of
all infant deaths and giving a Neonatal Mortality Rate of 13.88 per
1,000 live births. This rate is 2.28 more than that calculated for the
previous year and is slightly less favourable than the figure of 12.9
for Greater London and that returned for England and Wales,
namely, 12.5. Inner London registered a rate of 13.5.
Early Neonatal Mortality.—Forty-two infant deaths occurring
during the first week of birth gives an Early Neonatal Mortality
Rate of 11.66 per 1,000 live births compared with rates of 11.1 for
Greater London and 10.7 for England and Wales. The comparable
figure for Inner London was 11.5. The foregoing table indicates
that these early deaths were due, in the main, to prematurity and
congenital malformations.
Perinatal Mortality.—The Perinatal Mortality Rate, calculated
from a total of 54 stillbirths and 42 deaths of infants under 1 week,
was 26.27 per 1,000 total births, showing a rise of 0.57 over that for
1966. The equivalent rate for England and Wales is 25.4 and that
for Greater London, 24.2. Inner London recorded a rate of 24.9.
Reproductive Wastage.—A sum total of 127 stillbirths and
infantile deaths gives a Reproductive Wastage Rate of 34.75 per
1,000 total births, an increase of 1.15 over that calculated for the
previous year. Figures for England and Wales and Greater London
are 32.9 and 31.6 respectively.