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6
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The number of deaths of children under 12 months was 34,
which gives an Infantile Mortality Rate of 34.4 per 1,000 lire births.
This is not so good as the rate for 1945 which was 27.3 the lowest
ever recorded in Wood Green. It compares favourably, however,
with that for the country as a whole which was 43, and with that for
towns of comparable size which was 46.
Of the 34 infantile deaths, 6' occurred within 24 hours of birth
and 17 during the first month of life. If to these 17 deaths we add
the 28 stillbirths which occurred during the year, we have a total
loss of 45 infant lives either shortly before birth or in the few weeks
following birth. Of the 17 neo-natal deaths no fewer than 10 were
certified as premature. One was due to injury at birth and two to
congenital deformities which are usually fatal. It is in the direction
of reducing the number of stillbirths, and preventing the loss of so
many premature babies that further progress in the saving of infant
lives would seem to lie, and both these objects would be most likely
of achievement by increased attention to the health of the mother
particularly in the late months of pregnancy. Much has been
achieved in Maternity and Child Welfare during the past thirty
years, but there is still much to be done before we can be satisfied
with our efforts.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
No deaths were certified as due to childbirth or any of its complications,
so that for the second year in succession the Maternal
Mortality Rate was nil.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The number of live births registered as belonging to Wood
Green was 986 and the number notified under the Notification of
Births Act, was 926, which is 93.9 per cent. of the registered births.
Of the 986 births registered, the number which actually occurred
in Wood Green was 401, all the others taking place in hospitals,
nursing homes or in private dwellings outside the district. The
following table shows where the great majority of these births took
place.