View report page

12
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
There were 42 deaths registered of infants under one year of
age, as against 779 births ; the proportion which the deaths under
one year bear to 1,000 births is therefore 53.9 as compared with
54.6 for the previous year.
A comparison of the causes of Infantile Mortality in 1931
with those of the preceding year shows an increase during last
year in the deaths from Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, whereas there
was a decrease in the deaths from Premature birth.
It will be noted that during 1931 the deaths during the first
four weeks of life amounted to 20, a percentage of 47.6 of the total
Infantile Mortality during the first year of life, also that 13 of these
infant deaths occurred during the first week of life.
During the past 30 years the Infant Mortality rate has fallen
some 50 % but this fall has occurred mainly subsequent to the
first few weeks of life, the death rate during the first four weeks
remaining much the same.
These very early deaths can only be reduced substantially by
the adoption of more widespread and efficient ante-natal work.
Deaths under 1 year :
Legitimate
Illegitimate
M. F.
23 18
1 0