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32
Of the 28 deaths amongst those of 1 to 3 months, 2 were due to
developmental abnormalities; respiratory complaints accounted for 11,
gastro-enteritis 7, and infections 5, of which 4 were from whooping cough.
Infections accounted for most of the 48 deaths of those between 3
and 12 months, of which respiratory complaints were the cause in 21,
gastro-enteritis in 13, influenza in 2, and whooping cough, measles and
tubercular meningitis one each.
The infant mortality rate for 1938 was 38.3 and in 1939, 38.5. The
increase to 50.0 in 1940 was brought about by a rise in the number of
deaths occurring in children under one month, a figure of 94 was compared
with figures of 68 and 69 in the preceding years. The rate of 55.6 for
1941, which is an increase on the figure for 1940, is brought about not by
there being a greater number of deaths, because the figure is only
151 as compared with 150, but is due to the fact that these deaths occurred
in an appreciably smaller number of infants. As compared with last year
the number of deaths amongst those under one month is much less,
reducing the neonatal mortality rate to 28-0, one though which is still
much higher than that occurring in the years 1938 and 1939.
While the neonatal death rate, based on deaths occurring amongst
those infants under one month of age is frequently recorded, it is appreciated
that a more suitable date of demarcation would be the seventh
day rather than the 28th day. Deaths up to the 7th day are very largely
due to inherent deficiencies in the organism, to birth injuries arising from
difficulty in delivery, to congenital abnormalities which preclude extra
uterine survival and failure of adaptation to new surroundings. Many
of the deaths, however, which occurred amongst those who have survived
the 7th day but failed to reach their 28th day of life are due to the
same causes which result in fatalities in the infant for the remainder of
the first year.
In the following table the causes of death amongst infants are
further analysed.

From this it can be seen that the increase in the deaths amongst
children under one month of age arises not in the earlier period but is due
to a heavier mortality due to respiratory affections and abdominal