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4
I am pleased to report that the infantile mortality rate
was again very low, being identical with that of the previous
year, namely, .29 per thousand live births as compared with
43 for England and Wales, and 46 for the 126 County
Boroughs and great towns, including London. As in previous
years the largest contributory factors to the deaths of infants
under 1 year of age were prematurity and congenital defects.
These causes of death may be due to a large variety of factors,
involving maternal health, heredity, blood grouping of
parents, etc., and it is unlikely that an infantile mortality
rate as low as has prevailed during the last two years will
be materially reduced excepting in the light of further
knowledge. It will be seen, however, in the section headed
"Maternity and Child Welfare," that a scheme is in operation
for the care of the premature infant.
Three women died as a result of child birth, giving a
maternal mortality rate of 1.1 per thousand births.
The following Table shows the downward trend in the
infantile mortality rate since the beginning of the century:—

The following Table shows the causes of death during
the year:—