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39
The course which the rate has taken is graphically shown in the chart on
page 41, which indicates clearly that the only really serious interruption to the
decline was in 1917.
The means adopted in the Borough with a view to bringing about a reduction
in infantile mortality and generally improving the life and health chances of infants
and children are described in a separate section of this report—Maternity and Child
Welfare. This part being merely statistical, it is not proposed at this point to do
more than give some sort of analysis of the figures relating to deaths amongst
infants.
Causes.—A Table (Ministry of Health Table I) will be found on page 40,
in which, in addition to the causes of death, is shown the distribution of the deaths
according to age and locality.
So far as age and causation are concerned, conditions vary little year by year.
In 1922, as in other years, the greatest number of deaths occurred in the early weeks
of life. Of the bab es, 39 were less than one month old when they died and 63 less
than three months. The figures for 1921 were 52 and 82.
The outstanding causes of death and the proportions traceable to them were
those usually noted. Prematurity (numbers 12, 13 and 14 in the table), which as
usual heads the list, caused 39 deaths, a figure lower by 11 than that for the year
1921. Diarrhoea and enteritis (7 and 8) accounted for 19 in 1921 and for 15 in
1922. Respiratory diseases, the third of the main causes, took 20 in 1921, and in
1922, 19.
The commoner infectious diseases together led to 2 deaths among infants, both
due to diphtheria. Three deaths were stated to be due to overlaying, 2 to
tuberculosis, and 4 to convulsions.
In the following table information supplementary to that in the large table is
given with regard to deaths in the various sub-districts.
Christ Church, which always contributes most largely to the infantile as to most
of the other mortality rates, being the most thickly populated area and that in which
there is most poverty, most overcrowding and most neglect of ordinary precautions,
is again at the head of the list with 50 deaths amongst infants. In 1921 the figure
was 56.
Sub-District.
Under 1 week.
1 and under 2
weeks.
2 and under 3
weeks.
3 and under 4
weeks.
4 weeks and under
3 months.
3 and under
6 months.
6 and under
9 months.
9 and under
12 months.
Totals.
All Souls 8 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 18
St. Mary 3 _ 1 _ 5 7 4 1 21
Christ Church 9 4 1 3 9 8 6 10 50
St. John 5 _ 1 1 7 6 2 4 26
Totals 25 5 4 5 24 23 13 16 115