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18.
(b) (ii) Infant Mortality (Contd.)
Year Age. Total Cause of Death.
1943 1 mth. - 1 year 18 (contd.) 1 Raised intracranial
pressure.

It will be observed that the Infant Mortality rate
for the Borough has been below that of the England and 'Vales
and the London Area figure, with the exception of 1942, when
the figure was slightly above, and in 1940 when the London Area
Rate was exceeded. The. year 1939 was an exceptional year, the
infant mortality rate being about half of the figure for
England and Wales. Prom the details given regarding infant
deaths, it will be observed that 22% of the infant deaths for
the five years period occurred in infants under the age of 24
hours, and that approximately 50% occurred during the first month
of life. This is in accordance with figures for other areas,
and though the Infant Mortality Rate has decreased during the
past 50 years in children between one month and one year, it
has remained almost constant in the neo natal period. Of the
children who died between the age of one month and one year, an
increased number died as a result of Gastro Enteritis. These
deaths on the whole can be considered preventable, since Gastro
Enteritis is often due to infected food. Every effort is made
by the staff of the Public Health Department to advise and train
mothers to prepare infant feeds in such a way as to minimise the
possibility of infection.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
The number of cases notified were as follows:1919
1940 1941 l942 1943
3 3 - 3 -
Special arrangements for the admission of serious
cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum have been made and one infant
with its mother was admitted to Swanley L.C.C. Hospital, Kent,