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England and Wales. The rate amongst legitimate children was
48.8, while for illegitimate children it was the unusually low
figure of 22.7.
Neo-natal deaths: there were 50 deaths of infants under one
month of age, this being a Neo-natal rate of 28.0 and constituting
58 per cent of the total infant mortality rate. Of these deaths,
29 occurred within 24 hours of birth, of which 21 were premature.
The premature onset of labour was due to ante-partum haemorrhage
in 4 cases, maternal shock in one, fibroid in one, and twins in
three ; but no cause was known in the other cases. Four deaths
occurred from difficult labour, two being obstructed labour and
two breech deliveries. In two cases the cause of death was congenital
heart.
A further 9 deaths occurred within the first week, two being
due to birth injuries, two to congenital heart, and three to
prematurity. One death was due to melaena neonatorum and
one to broncho-pneumonia.
Of the remaining 10 cases which proved fatal within the
month, 6 were due to poor general condition of the child since
birth, 3 to respiratory affections, and one to congenital
abnormalities.
Of the 15 cases which died aged between 1 and 6 months,
gastro-enteritis occurring during the summer months accounted
for 4.
Respiratory affections accounted for 10 out of 20 cases of
those who died at ages between 6 and 12 months, gastro-enteritis
two, whooping cough two, tuberculosis two and meningococcal
meningitis one.
Most of the neo-natal deaths occurred within a few days,
many within a few hours, of birth. Some, such as those due to
congenital abnormality, are definitely not preventable. A large
number are due to prematurity, in many of which the cause for
he onset of labour could not be determined ; in others, however,
it was due to some abnormality in the mother and is controllable
to some extent by ante-natal supervision. A number of infants
are lost annually from birth injuries ; some of these, too, could be
prevented by ante-natal care.