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Infantile Mortality.
The number of infants under one year of age who
died during the year 1937 as shown by the table is 49.
Fifty were registered during the year giving an
infantile death rate per thousand live births of 35.1.
Rates over previous years have been:—
1931 48.2 per 1,000 live births
1932 62.6
1933 48.3
1934 45.0
1935 43.9
1936 53.8
1937 44.7
Twenty-nine of these deaths, that is 58 per cent.,
occurred in the neonatal period, that is within one month
of birth.
In 1937 and 1936 the corresponding figure was
57 per cent.
Maternal Mortality.
One death only was registered during the year as
due to, or in connection with childbirth, giving a puerperal
mortality rate (rate per thousand live and still
births) of 0.67, compared with 0.77 in 1937, and an
average over the previous five years of 2.39, and 2.97
for England and Wales.
Three deaths occured during the year, however, two
of which were not registered until 1939, and will be
recorded as against that year in the next Annual Report.
With relatively small figures there is bound to be a
certain amount of irregularity, but even such figures as
we have, do appear to me to show a good standard of
midwifery.
In considering the evidence collected after these
deaths for transmission to the Ministry of Health one
can often see where a mistake has occurred, but it is a
case of being wise after the event.
In relation to the death which was registered in
1938, one wondered if this woman should ever have been
allowed to become pregnant at all in view of her general
health.
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