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That the Infantile Mortality rate should rise
to 57.86, a figure even greater than that for
England and Wales as a whole, must have some comment.
In the first place the individual rate of a
town of the size of Wembley is very sensitive when
compared with that for the whole Country. The
number of deaths in relation to 1660 births (in
Wembley) cannot be compared with the number of deaths
relating to 607,029 births (in England and Wales)
without regard to the statistical "probable error".
In the report for 1938 it was stated that it
was very nearly true to say that the death rate in
Wembley could be smaller only by a decrease in the
Infantile Mortality rate, while the Infantile
Mortality rate was almost as low already as it
could be unless there be some new factor to arise
influencing the killing diseases generally.
The percentage of infant deaths occurring within
the first month of life in the last four years is
shown:- 1937 - 56.7; 1938 - 59-5; 1939 - 62.8;
and 1940 - 61.9, while the percentage of infant
deaths under one week may also be compared:-
1937 - 46.9; 1938 - 44.3; 1939 - 52.8; and
1940 - 30.4. These figures show that the rise in
infant deaths has not occurred because of deaths in
the group "Prematurity and Congenital Defects" in
which the infants' chances of survival can scarcely
be raised.
From an individual analysis of deaths it
becomes clear that the increased number of deaths
occurred from Pneumonia, Bronchitis and Respiratory
complaints together with a smaller increase from
Gastro-Enteritis. Further, after plotting the
infant deaths in monthly periods throughout the
year it is found that the deaths from respiratory
causes occurred in the first three months of the
year, and to a slightly less extent in the last
three months, that is, at the times when weather
15.