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28
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
There were 351 deaths registered of children dying within their first
year of life, compared with 380 in 1907, 466 in 1906, 354 in 1905,
496 in 1904, 401 in 1903, 394 in 1902, and 481 in 1901.
The Infantile Mortality rate has a special significance, and is the
expression of the number of deaths in children under 1 year to 1,000
births registered.
The births and deaths given, the rate is not liable to error.
This rate for 1908 is 100.8, the lowest yet recorded, and one
considerably below that of preceding years, and that of the country, and
of the " 76 Great Towns." The rate of the latter was 128.
Our favourable rate, when considered for the whole district, calls for
little comment, but when we compare its component parts as ascertained
for the Wards, it will be noticed that those for St. James Street and
Wood Street are considerably higher than the others.
Much has been done within recent years by various authorities with
the object of reducing the infant death-rate, which, unlike the general,
has undergone but little improvement during the last 50 years'.
Among the more active measures adopted were those directed against
Diarrhoea, and, in turn, special stress was laid on the importance of good
hygienic surroundings and the supply of a good and germ-free milk.
In 1907 the Notification of Births Act was passed, which enables
those who believe that ignorance is responsible for much, to adopt it,
and appoint Health Visitors to call at the homes of the poorer women,
and impress upon them the responsibilities of motherhood and the
necessity of breast feeding their children, and generally to instruct them
in the way of bringing up healthy bairns.
No doubt the adoption of the Act here could be made of great value,
and as time went on results would be seen probably in a healthier
babyhood, a happier childhood, and a more efficitnt man and womanhood.
So far as the means at our disposal would allow, work on lines similar
to those contemplated by the Act has been carried on here for years.