XXIII

H.—Bl

Although 15,905 infants (under one year) were lost to the colony by death during the decade, and including those 20,309 children under five, the third table shows much more satisfactory results for this colony than for New Sonth Wales or Victoria in the matter of the preservation of infant life. Dealing with averages of five years, in New Zealand only 76 infants under one year are found to die out of every 1,000 born, against 97 in New South Wales and 96 in Victoria.

European countries show still higher average mortality of infants than the principal Australian States : England and Wales, 138 (under oue year) to every 1,000 births ; France 144 ■ Italy 168 • Hungary, 212. Sweden (99) and Norway (83) are notable exceptions. The principal causes of mortality in children under one year for New Zealand are given, with the numbers of deaths for five years from such causes. Premature birth stands first in order of importance, marasmus or debility coming next.

Deaths under One Year. — Principal Causes.

A table is added to show that higher mortality obtains in the large towns than in New Zealand as a whole and two States of Australia.

Proportion of Deaths of Infants under 1 Year of Age to every 1,000 Births. Year. New Zealand. New South Wales, Victoria. 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 76-3 82-9 81-1 71-0 67-5 103-7 109-7 110-4 82-4 80-6 . 102-9 108-6 106-4 77-6 83-3 Means of five years ... 75-8 75-8 97-4 97-4 95-8

Principal Causes of Deaths of Infants. 1 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. Miasmatic diseases Diarrhceal diseases Premature birth Convulsions Bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy Enteritis 92 176 303 82 235 154 294 191 122 301 103 241 167 270 36 152 291 95 149 231 273 20 92 360 96 208 193 258 43 65 337 90 170 167 267 Marasmus, &c. ...

Wellington and Si hurbs. Sydne; and Sui lurbs. Melboun ie and Si iburbs. Year. in s a a ij O T-f i~3 I ss cc O •2JU h fl h H 4* 4S I o cq O •2§2 n a n CM ■5 g 3 ca 1 "a . J i—i CO *-> is O Cm •2|o iH 3 3 2 p to t-t Q 3 L901 .902 .903 .904 .905 1,326 1,321 1,520 1,479 1,715 133 172 141 141 165 100-3 130-2 92-8 95-3 96-2 12,601 13,002 12,749 13,215 13,769 1,517 1,457 1,483 1,300 1,230 1204 112-1 116-3 98-4 89-3 12,375 12,498 12,012 11,886 11,944 1,536 1,590 1,493 1,102 1,133 124-1 127-2 124-3 92-7 94-8 JeartR of five years 1.472 150 102-2 13,067 1,397 106-9 12,143 1,371 112-9