View report page

19
diseases are small-pox, enteric fever, measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough
and diphtheria, at all ages, also diarrhoea (and enteritis) in children under
two years of age. There were 45 deaths from these diseases during the year,
and the zymotic death-rate is therefore 0.58, as compared with 0.55 for the
previous year. This figure is 0.03 more than last year.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The infantile mortality is a special death-rate, referring to the first age
period (o to 1 year), and is expressed as the number of deaths that take place
amongst children under one year of age per thousand births registered.
The number of such deaths occurring amongst Edmonton children and
registered within (or without) the district was 130, and the births registered
within (or without) the district, born of Edmonton mothers, numbered 1,921;
therefore the infantile death rate, based on these figures, is 67.67 per thousand
births. This is the lowest on record; the previous lowest was 67.91 in 1919.
Eight of the 130 infantile deaths were those of illegitimate infants—that is
6.2 per cent, of the infantile deaths three inquests were held. Inquests were
also held on 18 of the other infants, making a total of 21.
The infantile mortality rate for the year in England and Wales was 80;
in London, 75; in the 96 great towns (which include Edmonton), 85; and in
the 148 smaller towns, 80 per thousand births registered.
Table IV shows that 50 per cent, of the infantile deaths occurred within
the first month of life, and that 46.2 per cent, were due to what are termed
"wasting diseases," viz., premature birth, atrophy, debility, congenital defects,
and marasmus. Last year the figures were 47.6 and 40.5 per cent.
I must also notice that the premature births were 35, compared with 26,
25 and 2i for 1919-18-17.