Recorded cot deaths double

Press, 18 June 1983, Page 27

Recorded cot deaths double

PA Wellington Cot deaths have almost doubled in a decade, according to health statistics given yesterday. Figures from the National Health Statistics Centre show that in 1971 there were 106 cot deaths (1.6 for every 1000 live births), compared with 209 deaths (4.1 per 1000) in 1980. But the report says the increase is probably an indication of the growing use of the term “cot death” rather than a true increase in incidence. New Zealand’s over-all death rate rose 5.2 per cent in 1980, the figures show. There were 26,688 deaths that year, an increase of 1315 over 1979.

The report was not released until now because the centre had to wait for returns from general practitioners, results of post-mor-tem examinations, and to collate the information. The three main causes of death (61 per cent of all deaths) were ischaemic heart disease (coronary) at 28 per cent, malignant neoplasms (cancer) at 21 per cent, and cerebrovascular disease (strokes) at 12 per cent.

There were 330 deaths at the one to 14 age-group, 1.2 per cent of all deaths in 1980.

Accidents were the cause of 45 per cent of childhood deaths, the main type being

motor-vehicle accidents (20 per cent).

Drownings caused 13 per cent of deaths and all other accidents were 12 per cent. Accidents were the cause of 48 per cent of boys’ deaths and 42 per cent of girls’ deaths. The death rate for boys was 29 per cent higher than for girls. The report said the difference was mainly because of the boys’ higher death rates from accidental causes.

The figures showed that the Maori mortality rate was substantially higher than for non-Maoris. The death rate for Maori chil-

dren under five was 11.4 per cent, compared with 7.8 for non-Maori children of the same age.

In the five to 14 agegroup the Maori death rate was 27.8, compared with 18.1 for non-Maoris.

The report said that although the Maori death rate fluctuated in the 1950 s it had shown a fairly steady decline since 1957. The 1980 rate of 4.6 per cent per 1000 Maori population was slightly lower than the 1979 rate.

Alcohol-related deaths dropped slightly from 1979 to 1980, although the rates for both sexes have in-

creased since 1971 by 63 per cent for males and 47 per cent for females. In 1980 there were 181 alcohol-related deaths, 10 fewer than for 1979.

The Minister of Health, Mr Malcolm, said that it appeared the 1980 total of deaths was random fluctuation.

“The 1981 total deaths were 1500 fewer than this and the provisional total for 1982 is about 1100 fewer,” he said yesterday.

Mr Malcolm said that health trends were the subject of a comprehensive report to be released within a few months by the Health Department.