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24
Infant Mortality
During the year 29 (14 male and 15 female) infants in the district, or
born to mothers ordinarily resident here, died under one year of age. This
was a decrease of 10 on the figure for 1972 and with 2,638 live births gives
an infant mortality rate of 11.0 compared with that of 14.0 in 1972. The
rate for England and Wales was 17-0.
Seventeen (59 %) of these infant deaths occurred during the first four
weeks of life which gives a neo-natal mortality rate of 6.0 per thousand
live births. Thirteen of these neo-natal deaths occurred during the first
week of life, prematurity being the main cause of death. These early
neo-natal deaths combined with the still births give a perinatal mortality
rate of 13.0 per thousand, live and still births, compared with a rate of
17.0 for 1972.