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in 10, gastro-enteritis in 3, and meningococcal meningitis, measles,
scarlet fever and tubercular meningitis 1 each.
In 1939, when the infant mortality rate was 38.5 the 128
deaths of infants under one year of age were comprised of 69 males
and 59 females. Of the 150 children who died this year, 59 were
females and 91 males. The increased rate was therefore entirely
due to the increase of deaths amongst male infants.
In 1939 the number who failed to survive the first month was
69. In 1940 it was 94. This increase occurred amongst those
who survived one week but failed to survive one month, the figure
of these, of 41 in 1940 contrasting with one of 14 for 1939. Of
this addition of 27, 11 were accounted for by an increase in the
number of deaths ascribed to prematurity, a further four to
developmental abnormalities, while infections accounted for an
additional 7 deaths.
The number of deaths amongst those of ages one to three
months was actually slightly smaller than those of the previous
year ; tut those occurring amongst infants of ages 3 to 12 months
were 34 as compared with 12, respiratory affections accounting for
most of this increase.
DEATHS OF OLDER CHILDREN.
Of the seven fatalities amongst those aged one year, three
were due to respiratory affections and one to meningococcal
meningitis.
Two of the eight children who died in their second year succumbed
to pneumonia and one each to measles, cerebro-spinal
fever and influenzal meningitis.
Whooping-cough was the cause of death of one of the six
children who died in their third year. The sole death amongst
children of four years of age was the result of an accident.
There were five deaths from war injury amongst those under
five years of age.
INFANT MORTALITY.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Five cases of ophthalmia neonatorum were notified, two of
them infants born in hospitals outside the district. Two infants
were admitted to a special hospital for treatment. All made
complete recovery.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
Five deaths were known as having having occurred from or
had been associated with pregnancy. In two of the cases, however,
the pregnancy was associated and not causative : (1) a patient
whose confinement was due in April, in the week ending February
17th contracted influenza; premature labour commenced on the
18th, and the infant was born on the 19th, but the mother died