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42
Infant Deaths
There were 33 deaths of infants under 1 year of age in 1954—
a decrease of 8 from the previous year. Total live births amounted
to 2,317 giving an infant mortality rate of 14. (17 in 1953). 26
deaths occurred within the first month of life and 24 of these were
during the first week of life.
Causes of Death.
Prematurity
Prematurity only 7
Prematurity + atelectasis 6
Prematurity + congenital heart disease1
Prematurity + broncho-pneumonia 1
Prematurity + intraventricular haemorrhage 1
Prematurity + kernicterus 1
17
Congenital Abnormalities 6
Respiratory Diseases
Broncho pneumonia 2
Broncho pneumonia + otitus media 1
Pneumonia + congenital heart disease 1
Pulmonary haemorrhage 2
6
Others
Meningitis (B Coli) 1
Cerebral haemorrhage 1
Erythroblastosis 1
Gastro-enteritis 1
4
Prematurity still remains the greatest single cause of death and
there was a slight increase in the number of deaths from this cause
in 1954 (17 in 1954 and 15 in 1953). All these deaths took place in
the first week of life and 8 were within the first 24 hours. It does
appear that if the baby can survive the first hazards of birth,
medical science is sufficiently advanced to-day to ensure a good
chance of their survival. It would seem that there is unlikely to be
any dramatic reduction in the number of these deaths until the
causes of premature birth are more fully understood.
Congenital abnormalities accounted for 6 deaths in 1954
(10 in 1953) and there were 4 deaths from pneumonia (6 in 1953).
It is encouraging to know that there were no deaths from
accidental causes in infants under 1 year of age as 5 such deaths
occurred in each of the two preceding years.