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70
Training.—Seven probationers obtained the Nursery Nurses
Certificate during the year. The Council agreed to pay the
examination fees of probationers.
Hours of Opening.—The Nurseries were open Monday to
Friday from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. throughout the year.
Control of the Day Nursery Service passed to the County
Council on July 5th.

The death rate of infants under one year of age per 1,000
live births when calculated on the totals given by the RegistrarGeneral
are therefore:—
Legitimate, 19; Illegitimate, 43; Total, 20.
The rate constitutes a new low record.
The Infant Mortality Rate for other areas during 1948 was
as follows:—
England and Wales 34
126 County Boroughs and Great Towns
(including London) 39
148 Smaller Towns (25,000—50,000) 32
London 31
There were 43 deaths of infants under one year of age out of
2,068 live births, i.e., at the rate of only 20 per 1,000, which
constitutes a new low record for the second year in succession.
In 1947 the rate was 29.
In 1915, when the Maternity and Child Welfare Act was
passed, the rate was 93. If this rate had persisted in 1948, with
2,068 babies born, no less than 192 babies would have been lost
instead of 43, i.e., there was a saving of 149 infant lives.
The very low Infant Mortality rate would appear to be amongst
the lowest rate of all areas in England and Wales with a similar
or larger population.
Neo-Natal Mortality.
The neo-natal mortality is the number of deaths of infants
under one month per 1,000 live births. During 1948, 24 infants
died in the first four weeks of life, yielding a rate of 11.1.