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known as the neo-natal mortality, comprises the type of fatalities
which, so far as the work of the local health authority is concerned,
are largely non-preventable. Each neo-natal death is, however, very
carefully investigated, whether the child died at home, or as
happens in most instances, in hospital.
The Council will remember that, in my Annual Report for
1956, I mentioned that we were endeavouring to arrange a postmortem
examination of infants who died before the age of twelve
months in as many cases as possible. This is never an easy matter,
for very obvious reasons. We are nevertheless continuing our
efforts, in the hope that the additional information which postmortem
examinations still provide will afford a clearer insight into
the cause of death, especially those deaths which should be preventable.
The greatest care is also being exercised in the field of
ante-natal welfare, since it is known that a number of infant deaths
are due to causes which arise during pregnancy and which lead,
if not to a stillbirth, to early death of the newly born infant.
Deaths in England and Wales of infants between the age of
six and twelve months has dropped by approximately 92% since
the beginning of the century. As a contrast, the mortality of
infants immediately after birth has fallen by approximately 30%
during the same period, a much less satisfactory figure. In other
words, more work is still required to ascertain the true cause of
early infant deaths, and to ensure that, wherever possible, these
causes are eliminated.
Still-births.
Twelve still-births, 11 legitimate and 1 illegitimate, were
accredited to the Borough for 1957. This is equal to a death rate
of 14.81 (live and still-births), the corresponding figures for 1956
being 11 still-births with a rate of 13.44.
The rate per 1,000 of the population was 0.16, the rate for
England and Wales being 22.4.
Maternal Mortality.
No maternal deaths were reported during 1957.
Mortality of Persons over the Age of 65.
Six hundred and twenty-eight, or 69.7, of the total deaths
during the year occurred in persons over the age of 65 years. Of
these 216 died between the ages of 80 and 90, while a further 33
females and 10 males were over the latter age, the oldest being 101.
Following the trend of recent years, diseases of the heart and
circulation were responsible for more deaths in this age group than
any other cause.
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