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12
Table III. shows the causes of deaths of infants. Premature
birth, congenital defects, atrophy, debility and marasmus, all
defects of pre-natal origin or influenced by pre-natal conditions,
accounted for 28 of the total 62 deaths. It is difficult to say
how many of these conditions are preventable, but it is our duty
to assume that most of them are preventable, and by well directed
ante-natal care aim at improving the health and environment
of the expectant mother. Bronchitis and pneumonia, which are
essentially preventable diseases and which welfare work aims at
preventing, accounted for 16 out of the 62 deaths. In the previous
year the deaths from bronchitis and pneumonia were only 6 in
number.
The illegitimate infant death-rate of 191.5 is much lower than
for the year 1922, when it was 255 per 1,000 births. This rate,
however, is very much higher than the legitimate infant death-rate,
which is 52.3 and indicates strikingly the severe struggle for existence
which illegitimate children have to experience.