15

H.—3l

SECTION 3. Infant Mortality, 912. The infant-mortality rate for 1929 was 34-10 per 1,000 births. This constitutes a low record for New Zealand and also for the world.

Infant Mortality in New Zealand, 1900-29 (per 1,000 Live Births).

It will be seen from the above table that, the greatest decline in the death-rate in 1929 applies to infants under one month of age, and that some reduction is being made in these very early deaths. Examination of the table hereunder further shows-that the reduction has been mainly for infants under one week old, and particularly under one day. On the other hand, as I have shown elsewhere, the number of still-born children has increased. Analysis of Deaths of Infants under One Month of Age, 1929. The following table gives the causes of these deaths during the year:—

Thus 492 of a total of 622 infant deaths in the first, month of life occurred during the first week, and may be regarded as mainly due to pre-natal influences. It is also of interest to record that well over half of the infant deaths (in the first twelve months of life) occurred in this first week—i.e., 492 in a total of 912.

vw Under Total under „ Under "fr' Total under One Month. Months ' Twelve Months. ' ar ' i One Month. Months Twelve Months. ; I | 1 1 1900 .. 31-1 44-1 75-2 1915 .. 29-2 20-8 50-0 1901 .. 29-8 41-6 71-4 1916 .. 27-0 23-7 50-7 1902 .. 32-2 50-7 82-9 1917 .. 27-9 20-3 48-2 1903 .. 31-7 49-4 81-1 1918 .. 26-7 21-7 48-4 1904 .. 29-4 41-6 71-0 1919 .. 28-4 16-9 45-3 1905 .. 30-1 37-4 67-5 1920 .. 30-8 19-7 50-5 1906 .. 29-6 32-5 62-1 1921 .. 30-7 17-1 47-8 1907 .. 30-4 58-4 88-8 1922 .. 27-2 14-7 41-9 1908 .. 31-2 36-7 67-9 1923 .. 29-1 14-7 43-8 1909 .. 29-9 31-7 61-6 1924 .. 24-0 16-3 40-3 1910 .. 30-2 37-5 67-7 1925 .. 26-4 13-5 39-9 1911 .. 28-5 27-8 56-3 1926 .. 25-46 14-3 39-76 1912 .. 30-1 21-1 51-2 1927 .. 25-83 12-91 38-74 1913 .. 29-7 29-5 59-2 1928 .. 25-41 10-77 36-18 1914 .. 28-9 28-5 51-4 ' 1929 .. 23-26 10.84 I 34-10

I • I »■» CD I S • I 44 &< 3 f-j ,-d P>i <D rr rrj © ,-tq ' I ri © <D © o> -f 3 tti .512 S •■a $ & *g <u , ® >a o Cause of Death. j 0ne n D e a r v 0 3 § g Total. OneDay MIlllM «80 EH O I I j _ ' Eh 1 EH I I I I I Influenza .. .. . . . . .. . ■ .■ 1 • • 1 Syphilis .. .. . . .. . . .. 1 .. .. 1 Meningitis Convulsions .. .. .. .. 1 4 3 .. . . 8 Broncho-pneumonia . . . . .... 2 .. 4 1 7 Pneumonia .. .. .. .... 1 1 1 1 4 Diarrhoea and enteritis .. .. .. .. •• •• 2 4 6 Congenital malformations .. .. 20 46 10 7 7 90 Congenital debility .. .. .. 10 27 1 7 3 48 Injury at birth .. .. .. .. 28 45 4 3 . . 80 Premature birth .. .. .. 115 102 j 19 10 15 i61 Other diseases .. .. .. •• 18 51 4 3 2 78 Accidental mechanical suffocation .. .. 1 • • ■ • I Other causes .. .. .. .. 5 16 6 3 7 37 Totals, 1929 .. .. 197 295 | 49 | 41 I 40 I 622 Totals, 1928 .. .. 230 325 80 30 j 27 ! 692 I j