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INFANT MORTALITY.
121 (71 male and 50 female) infants died under one year of age,
constituting an infant mortality rate of 34.8.
79 failed to survive one month. The neo-natal mortality rate was
therefore 22.7 constituting 65 per cent. of the total infant mortality
rate. Of these 79, 30 failed to survive the 24 hours, the cause of death
in 13 being prematurity, in 5 birth injury, and in 4 each atelectasis or
developmental abnormality. 28 deaths occurred in infants who survived
24 hours but failed to survive 7 days. Prematurity was the
cause in 9 of these, abnormality, birth injury and pneumonia 4 each,
and atelectasis and icterus 2 each. Of the 21 who survived one week
but succumbed before the end of one month, in 6 the cause was prematurity,
in 2 developmental abnormality and in another 2 birth diseases.
Infections accounted for 9 deaths.
Of the 22 deaths amongst those of 1 to 3 months, 2 were due to
developmental abnormalities, respiratory complaints accounted for 10,
gastro-enteritis for 6, and other infections 2.
Infections again accounted for most of the 20 deaths of those between
3 and 12 months, of which respiratory complaints were the cause of 9,
and whooping cough and gastro-enteritis 2 each.
MORTALITY AMONGST CHILDREN of 1-5 years of age.
Infections caused most of the deaths of children of the ages 1 to 5.
Pneumonia was responsible for 4 of the 5 deaths of those aged one year;
tuberculosis was responsible for one of the 3 deaths amongst those aged
two, and for 2 of the 5 deaths of those aged four. Blood diseases accounted
for the deaths of one of the 3 who died aged two, one of the 3
of those aged three, and one aged four. Whooping cough and measles
were responsible for one death each of children under 5.
INFANT MORBIDITY.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Only one notification of ophthalmia neonatorum was received, a
mild case, treated at home.
Pemphigus.
Three notifications were received of pemphigus amongst the newborn,
two of infants born at home in March, and one born in a local
nursing home in May. All were mild cases who recovered.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
Two deaths occurred which were classed as being from or associated
with pregnancy, giving a maternal mortality rate per 1,000 births of
0.56, comprised of a rate of 0.28 for puerperal sepsis and 0.28 for other
puerperal causes.
In one case the death was due to causes arising from the pregnancy.
This patient had refused to follow advice given her during pregnancy,
on one occasion discharging herself from hospital. She was delivered
at home, but died 3 hours later from toxaemia.