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16
Infant Mortality
During the year, 33 (23 male and 10 female) infants living in the district,
or born to mothers ordinarily resident here, died under one year of age.
This was a fall of eight on the figure for 1964 and with 3,309 live births
gives an infant mortality rate of 10.0 as compared with that of 12.2 in
1964. The rate for England and Wales was 19.0.
25, or approximately 75% of these infant deaths occurred during the
first four weeks of life, giving a neo-natal mortality rate of 7.6 per 1,000
live births. 23 of these neo-natal deaths occurred during the first week of
life, prematurity with congenital defects being the main cause of death.
These early neo-natal deaths combined with the still births give a perinatal
mortality rate of 19.4 per 1,000 live and still births, compared with a
rate of 19.8 for 1964.
Maternal Mortality
There were two maternal deaths in 1965, giving a maternal mortality
rate of 0.59 per 1,000 live and still births. A confidential investigation is
conducted into each maternal death. The purpose of these investigations
is regarded solely for scientific and public health purposes, in order to
assist in the prevention of future maternal deaths.
Deaths
The total number of deaths of residents of the Borough was 2,032,
giving a death rate of 9.7 per 1,000 population. Liability to death varies
at different ages and also between the sexes. Accordingly, to offset the
effect of these variations and so produce a rate which can be used for
comparison purposes with other districts in the country as a whole, the
Registrar General calculates for each district a comparability factor which,
when applied to the crude death rate of 9.7, gives an adjusted death rate
of 10T, which then compares with the death rate of 11.5 per 1,000 population
for England and Wales. The main causes of death were as follows:—
1. Diseases of the circulatory system 765
2. Cancer 480
3. Vascular diseases of the central nervous system 261
857 deaths registered were of people over 75 years of age, i.e. 41% of
the total deaths registered in the district.
Deaths from Cancer
In 1965, the number of deaths from cancer was 282 males and 198
females. Deaths from lung cancer increased by 23 to a total of 155 for the
year or a rate per 100,000 of 73.95. Seventy per cent of these deaths occurred
in the age group 55.75 years. Measures to bring the association
of cigarette smoking with lung cancer to the attention of the public
continued during the year.