View report page

8
per centage of births. This is a decrease of 1.4 on the
previous year.
I am pleased in being able to state that the deaths
which have taken place amongst infants under one year of age
shewed improvement as compared with the number of births
in all Wards. The returns proved that about one death
occurred in every eleven births.
The infant mortality rate in any district is far
more accurate as a statement of fact than any other of the
various rates included in vital statistics, as it is based on
registered births and deaths, and is not in any way influenced
by possible miscalculations in the estimate of the total population.
It has already been explained that non-residents
deaths are excluded in calculating a death rate. Non-resident
births are included, because otherwise they would not be
counted at all.
A careful study of the chief causes of the infant deaths
is necessary before any useful or practicable scheme for
reducing infant mortality can be suggested.
The 11 deaths attributed to Premature Birth is 5 less
than the number registered from the same cause last year.
The fact that over 5.5 per cent. of infant deaths under one
year were due to the babies having been born before full
time requires consideration. It seems to prove that
in any attempt to reduce infant mortality the health and
condition of the pregnant woman must be considered as
well as the treatment of the baby after birth.
Another important fact shewn in the table is that infants
died from such diseases as Atrophy, Debility or Marasmus.
Of course there are exceptions to all rules, but generally
speaking, these technical terms mean in simple language,
Bad Feeding. Errors of diet are also the cause of most
of the fatal cases of Diarrhoea.
Adding together the deaths from Diarrhoea, Marasmus,
&c., Premature Birth, and those due to overlying (2), most of
which it may be quite fairly said might have been prevented
by proper knowledge properly applied, it will be seen that
during the year a percentage of the total infant deaths
was due to preventable causes.
The deaths amongst infants under one year of age since
1901, are as follows, viz.:—