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MORTALITY IN CHILDHOOD. 55
Hopeless Births.-This term is applied to children whose deaths are registered prior to, or
simultaneously with, their deaths. The designation "hopeless" must be received with much
reservation, as a consideration of the ages at and causes of death affords sufficient evidence
that a fair proportion at least of such births are really far from "hopeless"; that is to say, that
the deaths were due to causes usually regarded as preventable. The fact that no fewer than 92
such instances (at ages up to two months) were noted last year (101 in 1911) demonstrates the
weakness of the present Registration Law, which allows so long an interval as six weeks in
which to register a birth.
The 92 "hopeless births" recorded last year included 53 of males and 39 of females, 4 of the
deceased infants (1 male and 3 females) being non.resident. Six of the infants were illegitimate.
Fourteen of the 92 deaths occurred in institutions, and inquests were held with respect
to 3 others.
An examination of Table 34 (page 58) shows that 67 of the 88 deaths of Borough children
(37 of males, 30 of females) were directly associated with development and birth, 50 deaths
(26 of males and 24 of females) occurring during the first week of life, 27 (13 of males and
14 of females) in the course of the first twenty.four hours. There were, on the other hand,.
21 deaths (15 of males and 6 of females) from causes which were apparently more or less
independent of birth and development. Of these 21 deaths, 3 occurred in the first week of
life. The difference in the age distribution of the two groups of causes is illustrated by
expressing the numbers of deaths in these age.groups as percentages of the total deaths in each
group of causes.
Age. Under 1 week. 1-4 weeks. 4-8 weeks.
Premature Birth, &c. 75 19 6
Diarrhœal Dis., &c. 14 81 5
The 88 deaths included in this tabulation formed 29.8 per cent. of the corrected total
number of deaths under one year of age, the average proportion for the five years 1907.11
having been 31.3 per cent.
Age.Group Mortalities.-In Table X., Appendix A, the numbers of deaths recorded at
various ages during the past year are compared with the average annual numbers for the years
1907.11. The deaths during the first twenty.four hours of independent life numbered 37, and
were equal to the average, there being, however, slight differences in the numbers of deaths
of each sex. In the first week of life 69 infants died, one more than the average; in the first
month. 113. or one less than the average.

The foregoing rates, derived from the fully corrected births and deaths (0.1 year), show
considerable differences in the incidence of mortality during the past year upon the two sexes,
that among males being always the higher. The mortality among males last year at ages under
3 months was above the average, owing to the heavier mortality at ages under one month.
At other ages the mortality of males in 1912 was less than the average, but not much so On
the other hand, the mortality among females at each age was below the average, and at some
ages notably so, e.g., at ages 6.9 months.
Causes of Death.-An examination of the figures in the same Table X. shows that there
were fewer deaths of males last year from the "Diarrhœal" and "Tuberculous" Diseases