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five to forty-four years 87, forty-five to sixty-four years 484, sixty-five to
seventy-four years 499, seventy-five years and over 737.
Of these local deaths, 54 per cent. of those of males were persons of
65 or over, 29 per cent. of 75 and over, and 85 and over 5 per cent. The
corresponding figures for females were 72, 49 and 19. Of the local
residents who died last year, 33 per cent. had reached the age of 75 and 12
had reached the age of 85.
There has in this century been a remarkable increase in the expectation
of life. Compared with figures in 1901 to 1910 of 49 for men and 52
for women, those for the country in 1955 were 68 and 73. This increase is
largely the result of the saving of infant deaths and does not mean that
people these days are living all that much longer; in fact the expectation of
life of those of 65 has in this period increased for males by one year only
and for females by three years.
Infant Mortality
The infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying under one
year of age per thousand born. It is one of the vital statistics of special
interest because it has for long been accepted as an index of the healthiness
of the community, being influenced by so many of the factors which affect
the health of the population.
The infant mortality rate for the country as a whole was about 150
in the early years of the century. The local rates have for many years
been very satisfactory. The figure has not been over 25 since 1948.
Last year 59 infants living in this district or born to mothers ordinarily
resident in this district died under one year of age. In the same year
2,791 infants were born. The infant mortality rate was therefore 21.1.
The rate for the country as a whole was 23.8.
These 59 deaths were a sharp rise on the figures of recent years. The
rise was accounted for mostly by an increase in those who did not survive
one week. The distribution of deaths by quarters was 29, 8, 16 and 6.
The increase in the number of deaths this year was the result of the rise in
the third quarter. At one time this was a dreaded period of the year
because of the occurrence of summer diarrhoea. This, however, is
largely a thing of the past, and a rise in the third quarter due to this is not
now seen. In any case the harm was done in the brighter summers
with their high temperatures, not in summers such as that of 1956. Then
too these adverse factors would not affect the infants in hospital.
Of these 59 deaths, 47 occurred in infants under one month old.
The neo-natal rate was therefore 16.7, comprising 80 per cent of the infant
mortality rate. The mothers of 38 of these 47 infants were confined in
hospital. 14 of these infants failed to survive 24 hours, a further 21 died
before they were a week old and only three of the deaths occurred amongst
those who had survived one week, but failed to survive one month. In
20 instances the cause was prematurity of birth. While in a few cases
there was some reason such as toxaemia which precipitated the onset of
labour, in most there was no obvious cause. In nine, delivery had been
difficult, resulting in cerebral haemorrhage in eight. In eight instances the
death was the result of some developmental abnormality in the infant. Of
those nine infants born at home who died within the month, four were