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51
Table IV at the end shows the causes of deaths of
children from birth to one year of age.
Seventeen deaths, nearly 45 per cent. took plate
during the first week of life, and thirteen of these were
due to premature birth and congenital debility, while 29,
or over 76 per cent. occurred during the first 4 weeks of
life. Twenty deaths were due to premature birth,
including Congenital Debility and Malformation, 5 to
Pneumonia, 3 to Bronchitis, and 1 to Diarrhœa.
I have in an earlier part of the Report given an account
of the work done by the Child Welfare Department,
and I think that the figures with regard to infantile
mortality afford unmistakeable evidence of the value of
that work.
The sanitary conditions of the district are all
favourable, there are no slums, no back to back houses,
plenty of open spaces and fresh air, there are no
industries employing married women to any large extent,
and work has been fairly plentiful so that with the
exception of that due to the strike of moulders there
has been very little unemployment.