SAVINS INFANT LIFE

Evening Star, Issue 18255, 20 April 1923, Page 1

SAVINS INFANT LIFE

DR TRUBY KING’S ANNOUNCEMENT. GKATI FYIN G STATI S-TIGS. An important announccmont was made by Dr Trilby King in an address at the lied Cross rooms in Wellington in regard to the steady reduction in infant mortality. Dr Truby King showed a graphic chart comparing- the infant mortality of New Zealand with tint of the Commonwealth of Australia. This was an extension of the chart he prepared and exhibited last year, which showed- that fifteen years ago the infantile death rate was the. same for both countries—namely, about 80 per 1.000 — and l that by 1921 the New Zealand death rate had fallen to 47 per 1,000, while the Australian rate stood at 69 per 1,000. The chart further showed that in New ZeahTi-d, while 30 babies- per 1,000 (lied in 1921 before they readied the ago of a month, only seventeen died during the whole period between one month of ago and twelve months. The lecturer said it was exceedingly gratifying to find that the 1922 statistics were actually much mure favorable than those for 1921, which they had considered more than satis factory. The total infantile mortality for 192 S was only 41.89 per 1.00- instead l of 47 for the previous year; while the deaths of infants between one month and twelve months of age were only 14.6, as compared with 17. The one infantile death rate which remains practically stationary, and has remained so for the last quarter of a century. is the deatli rate during the first month, the average over the whole period being nearly 30 per 1,000: during 1322 the rate is slightly below the average—namely, 27 per 1,000. It- was pointed out that the death rate among the older infants had now reached a. point, which could not be greatly lowered 1 , since, zero would be impossible—some infants must die between one month and one year; but Dr Truby King said he was confident that the deaths during the first months could he, and ought to he, brought down to half thou- present figure. Dr Truby King mentioned that about ten years ago, basing his opinion upon the trend l of the infantile mortality statustics, he felt confident that the New Zealand total rate could be brought down to 30 per 1,000 by 1930, and: he had every reason to believe now that this would be the case.