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14
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 than to environment.
The local rates have constantly been below the national rates; with
the rapid fall in the rates for the country as a whole, the gap is narrowing.
Last year, fifty-eight infants living in the district or born to mothers
ordinarily resident here died under one year of age. This was a sharp
rise on the forty-four deaths in 1959. In the same year, 3,117 infants
were born. The infant mortality rate therefore was 18.6. The rate for
the country as a whole was 21.7.
Of these fifty-eight deaths, forty-five occurred in infants under one
month of age. The neonatal rate therefore was 14.4, comprising seventyeight
per cent of the infant mortality rate. The national rate was 15.6.
Of the eighteen infants who failed to survive twenty-four hours, only
one was born at home, a premature illegitimate. In twelve of those born
in hospital, birth was premature. This figure includes three pairs of
twins. The figure of eighteen deaths in this group is the same as that for
last year.
Twenty infants survived twenty-four hours but failed to live one week.
The corresponding figure for last year was fourteen. In fifteen instances
the confinement had taken place in hospital. Of the five home confinements
three were premature. Of those born in hospital, six were premature.
Four fatalities were the result of birth injuries and two of developmental
abnormalities.
As against only two who last year survived one week but failed to
reach one month, this year there were seven. Two had been born prematurely
and three suffered from developmental abnormalities.
In 1959, ten children attained the age of one month but failed to
reach the age of one year. This year there were thirteen. Of the nine who
died before one month, in six instances the infant suffered from developmental
abnormalities; two died from respiratory complaints. Respiratory
troubles accounted for the deaths of the other four infants who died before
reaching the age of one year. Two of them were between three and six
months old, the other two between six and nine months.
Much of the increase in the number of infant deaths in 1960 compared
with those of 1959 (fifty-eight as against forty-four), is due to an increase
of nine in the number of premature births, five of this increase being
among infants born in hospital and who died within twenty-four hours.