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It has been previously explained-that it is not possible under
present conditions to give the ward distribution of the registered
births, but based upon the distribution of the births notified and
registered but not notified during the year, the infantile mortality
in each ward was:—
North-East Ward 29
North-West Ward 50
South-East Ward 82
South-West Ward 82
Eleven illegitimate children died under the age of 12 months.
This number would correspond to an infantile mortality of 172 per
1,000 illegitimate births compared with 59 per 1,000 births among
legitimate children.
There are some features of importance in relation to the
Maternity and Child Welfare work of the Council.
The infantile mortality in 1919 is the lowest on record.
Forty-two of the deaths or 58 per cent, of the total occurred before
the children reached the age of one month.
Thirty-five of the deaths or nearly one-half were due to antenatal
and natal causes—Prematurity, Atrophy Debility and Marasmus,
Injury at birth or Congenital Malformations.
Fifteen of the deaths were due to Diarrhoeal Diseases.
The improvement in the figures of the South-West Ward has
been maintained, and the average mortality for the last 4 years has
been under 100 per 1,000 births.
Maternity and Child Welfare—Ante-Natal Clinic, &c.
Although, logically, organised effort for the protection of the
infant should have begun by ensuring the welfare of the mother
during pregnancy, in her confinement and during the lying-in-period,
this part of the work was undertaken years after post-natal care of