H.—3l

18

Deaths of Infants under One Year, and Proportion to Births.

Deaths of Children under One Year to 1,000 Births. Deaths per ~ Deaths per Countr y- 1,000 Births. Countr >'- 1.000 Birtha Chili (1908) .. .. . . 320 Scotland (1908) .. .. 121 Hungary (1909) .. .. 212 Denmark (1908) .. .. 123 Ceylon (1909) .. .. .. 202 Ireland (1909) .. .. .. 92 Jamaica (1909) .. .. ..174 Victoria (1909) .. .. ..71 Prussia (1909) .. .. .. 164 Western Australia (1909).. .. 78 Servia (1908) .. .. .. 158 Sweden (1908) .. .. 85 Italy (1908) .. .. 153 New South Wales (1909).. .. 74Japan (1908) .. .. 157 Tasmania (1909) .. .. 65 Belgium (1908) .. .. ..147 Queensland (1909) .. .. 72 Netherlands (1909) .. .. 99 South Australia (1909) .. .. 61 Switzerland (1908) .. .. 108 New Zealand (1909) .. .. 62 England and Wales (1909) .. 109 Norway (1908) .. .. .. 76 Finland (1909) . ..11l Here, of European countries, Prussia, which has a birth-rate of 31"8 per 1,000 of population, shows an infantile mortality of 164 per 1,000 births; while New Zealand, with a birth-rate of 27 per 1,000 of population, loses only 62 infants per 1,000 births. So that, whatever may be the faults of ignorance or wilfulness in this country, from a statistical point of view it would appear that far better conditions obtain than elsewhere. 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, diarrhoea and enteritis next, followed by marasmus or debility. Here it is seen how much mortality is attributed to these causes according to the medical certificates.

Causes of Deaths of Children under One Year. — 1906-10.

Year. Deaths of Infants under 1 Year of Age. (Totals for each Year, and Means of 10 Years.) : Total Births Proportion registered of Deaths of in each Year, Infants T7 , 1 Month 3 Months 6 Months Total and Mean of under 1 Year ,Yi ,L and under and under and under under 10 Years. . n l ° ev ,? r ?, 1 Month. 3 Monthg 6 Months U Months la Month ( 1,000 Births. .901 .902 .903 .904 .905 .906 .907 .908 .909 .910 610 272 292 289 1,463 20,491 71-4 665 344 313 390 1,712 i 20,655 82-9 692 346 367 365 1,770 21,829 811 669 260 356 331 1,616 22,766 71-0 714 285 290 310 1,599 23,682 67-5 717 247 244 298 1,506 24,252 62-1 763 446 500 519 2,228 25,094 888 810 242 347 362 1,761 25,940 67-9 794 285 258 297 1,634 26,524 61-6 786 298 333 343 1,760 25,984 67'7 Means of ten years ... 722 303 330 350 1,705 I 23,722 71-9 Note.—The total number of deaths of infants for the period included in the table is 17,049.

laths from each Cause. ! Percentage of Total. Number of Di 1906. 1907. I 1908. 1909. 1910. 1906. 1907. j 1908. j 1909. i 1910. Whooping-cough Convulsions .. Bronchitis and pneumonia Diarrhoea and enteritis Premature birth Marasmus, &c. Other causes 17 90 170 232 j 337 | 267 393 207 84 269 557 359 303 449 31 76 148 418 388 264 436 28 107 168 249 347 256 479 101 80 157 343 407 281 391 I 113 5-98 11-29 15-40 22-38 j 17-73 | 26-09 9-29 1-76 3-77 4-32 12-08 8-40 25-00 23-74 16-11 22-03 13-60 14-99 20-15 24-76 1 -71 5-74 6-55 4-54 10-28 8-92 15-24 19-49 21-24 23-12 15-67 15-97 29-31 22-22 Totals .. 1,506 ! 2,228 1,761 1,634 1-760 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00