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attractive to teenagers who want to be "with it".
Smokers' clinics have been started up and
down the country and their methods and degree of success
are being critically studied.
In spite of these rather gloomy comments it
must be borne in mind that it is only because so many
other major causes of death have been eradicated and also
that more money is available to spend on cigarettes and
a great variety of confectionery that these diseases of
the older age groups are rising in importance.
With each decade not only are many more infants
living to reach their second year, but this second year
seems almost like a spring-board to give them a flying start
in life so that the loss of life up to the age of 45 is
almost neglible. On the basis of the 1962 statistics of
349 live births 341 babies would survive to reach their
second year. In Friern Barnet's total child population
from the age of 1 year to 15 years the total number of deaths
was one, and between the ages of 15 and 45 they totalled 14.
Immunisation has played a very large part in
this success story but it requires constant vigilance to
ensure that it continues at its present high level.
Diphtheria and poliomyelitis are still menacing diseases
that could return again as a cause of death and crippling.
Infant Mortality.
There were 8 deaths of infants under 1 year
of age. This gives an infant death rate of 22.9 per 1,000
live births as compared with 16 deaths and a rate of 44.7
in the preceding year.
Of the 8 infants who died in Friern Barnet during
1962 before they had reached the age of 12 months, 7 died
under four weeks; 6 failed to survive one week - in fact
died the first day. These very early deaths are the
hardest of all to prevent. Every infant death is
carefully scrutinised.
Five stillbirths, all legitimate, were accredited
to the District for 1962. This is equal to a death rate of
14.1 (live and still births), the corresponding figures for
1961 being 10 stillbirths with a rate of 27.2.
As mentioned in the introduction to this Report,
no maternal deaths were reported during 1962.
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