Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne.

  • Melbourne (Vic.). Health Committee.
Date:
[1946]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/32 (page 11)
    Infant Mortality The number of births notified during the year was 2.033, which included 14 sets of twins and 1 set of triplets. The number of infant deaths notified was 47 (36 of them being neonatal). The infantile death rate, confirmed by the Government Statist, was therefore 23.1, the neonatal death rate being 17.7 and the death rate of those between one month and one year being 5.4. INFANTILE DEATH KATES AND NUMBER OF BIRTHS Year Neonatal Between one month Total No. of Births (under one month) and one year 1936 . . 24.8 29.2 54.0 1131 1937 . . 28.1 13.6 41.7 1176 1938 . . 26.0 13.8 39.8 1156 1939 . . 26.2 10.0 36.2 1105 1940 . 42.2 11.9 54.1 1257 1941 . . 24.6 12.3 36,9 1303 1942 . . 25.3 18.7 44.0 1499 1943 . . 28.8 14.9 43.7 1804 1944 . . 19.9 12.1 32.0 1655 1945 . . 19.8 6.4 26.3 1709 1946 . . 17.7 5.4 23.1 2033 Average for 10 years . . 26.7 14.2 40.9 1379 NEONATAL DEATHS The causes of the 36 neonatal deaths were:— Prematurity 12 Icterus gravis . 1 Prematurity writh atelectasis . 4 Bronchopneumonia . 4 Prematurity and bronchopneumonia. 1 Bronchopneumonia and peritonitis 1 Prematurity and congenital heart and Bronchopneumonia, cleft palate and cerebral haemorrhage . 1 mongolism . 1 Atelectasis H- Dextrocardia and malformation of heart 1 Cerebral haemorrhage . 3 Suprarenal haemorrhage . 1 Insufflation asphyxia . 1 Anencephalus . i Of the 36 babies who died in the neonatal period (i.e. under one month of age) there were 10, of whom no particulars could be obtained. The mothers had apparently lived for only a short time in the City and had moved away before they could be contacted after the infants’ deaths. Of the 26 for whom particulars were available, it was found that 24 had had fairly re¬ gular antenatal attention. In all cases the fathers were employed. One child was ex-nuptial. Diet appeared to be satisfactory in all but two cases. Three were in twin births and two in triplet births. 13 were born in private hospitals, 7 in the Women’s Hospital, 3 in the Queen Victoria Hospital and 3 in their own homes. 18 were in 1st children, 3 in 2nd children and 5 in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th children. DEATHS BETWEEN ONE MONTH AND ONE YEAR OF AGE The causes of the 11 deaths notified at this age were as follows:— Prematurity . 1 Prematurity, gastroenteritis and broncho¬ pneumonia . 1 Gastroenteritis . 2 Gastroenteritis and pulmonary congestion 1 Bronchopneumonia .... Influenzal meningitis Mastoiditis . Miliary Tuberculosis 1 2 2 I Only three of these babies attended the Centres. These three babies had shown satis¬ factory nutritional progress until the sudden onset of the illnesses which caused their deaths, viz. influenzal meningitis, mastoiditis, (associated with infantile eczema) and miliary tuberculosis. In the tuberculosis case the male parent came back from Sanatorium shortly before the beginning of the baby’s illness. One other case (mastoiditis) was known to the Centres and had been home visited, but the baby had never been brought to the Centre. The remaining seven cases were not known to the Centres. The two cases of prematurity were to all intents neonatal deaths. One gastroenteritis case died in the Mental Hospital at Kew, one in the Child Welfare Home, and one had just moved into the City from an adjacent suburb. One of the influenzal meningitis cases was an inmate of a Home for mothers and babies, and the bronchopneumonia case had recently come from Sydney. DEATHS BETWEEN ONE AND TWO YEARS OF AGE The cause of the 4 deaths in children of this age were:— Bronchopneumonia and congenital spastic disease This child attended Centre only occasionally as it was under the supervision of its own private doctor. Bronchopneumonia and malnutrition This child also attended the Centre only occasionally, as it attended tne Children’s Hospital out-patient department frequently. Meningococcal septicaemia Attended Centre only occasionally; many home visits were paid as the mothercraft was known to be unsatisfactory; the child was found dead in bed and an inquest was ordered. Accidently run over fay car Was known to Centre and had been home visited, but had not attended.