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66
ANALYSIS OF INFANT DEATHS, 1950
Dr. Melville Watkins reports as follows :—
Following last year's practice the classification of 42 infant
deaths for the year 1950 is here shown:—
Inevitable Unavoidable Preventable Total
Number 10 22 10 42
Percentage 23.81 52.38 23.81 —
No appreciable difference in trend under this classification
occurred from that of 1949. The numbers classified under "Inevitable"
and "Unavoidable" increased slightly, and preventable
deaths were reduced from 19 to 10.
The inevitable deaths were mostly due to congenital malformations.
Prematurity and atelectasis form the majority of conditions
under "Unavoidable" deaths, whilst respiratory infections caused
the bulk of " Preventable " deaths.
The following table gives deaths by age groups:—
0—1/52 1/52—1/12 1/12—3/12 J/12—6/12 6/12—12/12 Total
29 4 1 1 7 42
It will be seen that the majority of deaths occurred in the first
week of life, thus emphasising the most dangerous period in an
infant's life and the great care needed at this neo-natal period. As
most of the deaths at this period were due to prematurity the
problem appears to be one of ante-natal and obstetrical care.
If the infant survives the first four weeks the protection and
care afforded to the baby up to the sixth month seems to be good.
From the sixth month to one year the risk of exposure to infection
appears to be greater. The cause of death in this age group is
mostly due to respiratory and intestinal infections.
It will be seen from the table of causes of death that only
four are due to infectious diseases; three from enteritis and one
from meningitis. Although there was a considerable prevalence
of whooping cough and measles during the year there were no
deaths from these causes.
A still further reduction in preventable deaths depends on
more favourable environmental factors and greater awareness
amongst mothers of the dangers of infection during the first year
of life.
The hard core of the problem still remains that of deaths
during the first week of life.
Little can be done to reduce the numbers of inevitable deaths
in the present store of our knowledge of the causes of congenital
abnormalities.
CARE OF ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN
The action taken under Circular 2866/1944 is fully set out
in the Report for that year.