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Infant Mortality
The infant mortality rate is the ratio of the number of infant deaths
under one year per thousand born in the year. Although higher rates are
still found where environmental conditions are not satisfactory, this rate
is not these days the index it used to be of the general healthiness of the
district. Most of the infant deaths which now occur take place within
the first days or even the first hours of birth, and are now more related
to conditions operating at birth.
The local rates have constantly been below the national rates; with
the rapid fall in the rates for the country as a whole, this gap is narrowing.
Last year, 44 infants living in the district or born to mothers ordinarily
resident here died under one year of age. In the same year, 2,931 infants
were born. The infant mortality rate therefore was 15.0. The rate for
the country as a whole was 22 0.
Of these 44 deaths, 34 occurred in infants under one month of age.
The neonatal rate therefore was 11.6, comprising 77 per cent of the infant
mortality rate.
Of the 18 infants who failed to survive twenty-four hours, 5 had been
born at home. Two were very premature, one died from want of attention
at birth and two suffered from congenital developmental abnormalities.
Of those born to mothers delivered in hospitals or nursing homes, in
six the infant was prematurely born, and three died from congenital
abnormalities.
Fourteen infants survived twenty-four hours but failed to live one
week Only two of these infants had been bom at home. The death of
one was due to atelectasis, the other to congenital defects. Seven of these
infants whose mothers were confined in hospitals were born prematurely.
Two had birth injuries and two had developmental abnormalities.
Only two infants who survived one week failed to reach one month.
The mothers of both had been delivered in hospital; one infant had birth
injuries, the other congenital abnormalities.
Of the ten who attained one month but failed to reach the age of
one year, two died at two months of age, two between three and six
months, four between six and nine months and two between nine and
twelve months. Five of the deaths were due to respiratory complaints,
one to enteritis and three were the result of congenital defects.
Stillbirths
Forty-three stillbirths were registered last year. This was a rate per
thousand population of 0.20, and a rate per thousand live and stillbirths
14.4. The rate per thousand births for the country as a whole was 20.9.
Of the forty stillbirths about which particulars are known, all but four
were to mothers confined in hospital.
Of those where the mother was confined in an institution, many were
premature. In six there was no apparent cause for the early onset of labour.