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.

    5/32 (page 5)
    The number of births recorded in the City (.2033) shows a quite astonishing increase, be¬ ing a record in the experience of the City, and no less than 13 per cent higher than the pre¬ vious maximum record which was 1804 in 1943. The number of births is actually 84 per cent higher than the recent minimum which was 1105 in 1939. For the State as a. whole, the birth¬ rate has shown a continuous rise over the war years, with a sharp rise from 1942 to 1943, and another from 1945 to 1946, to an all-time high for the State. These two big years, 1943 and 1946, are discernable also in the Melbourne figures. The first peak followed a record number of mar¬ riages in 1942, the second peak also follows a high number of marriages, second only to the peak of 1942. The year was marked also bj^ a new low record for infantile mortality, the figures being for the City 23.1 deaths per thousand births, and for Victoria 27.1. The figure for Greater Melbourne was 27.0, which is only slightly above the record low for Greater Melbourne which was 26.9 last year. These figures are very gratifying indeed, particularly for the City which is a relatively un¬ favourable area of Greater Melbourne. As the Government Statist points out, however, figures lor the separate municipalities are relatively small and are correspondingly liable to chance fluctuat¬ ions. It was mentioned in last year’s report that infantile mortality, being calculated by divid¬ ing the number of deaths of infants under one year by the number of births recorded during the year, tends to be given a slightly favourable bias when the birthrate is rising; but since nearly 75 per cent of the deaths occur in the first month of life the deceptively favourable bias can only be a small one. The encouraging infantile mortality rates achieved in recent years are almost certainly due to two main factors; on the one hand the increasingly scientific care given to young infants through the work of the infant welfare organisations, both official and voluntary, the schools, and the press, whose co-operation in this matter is highly appreciated, and has undoubt¬ edly been of great value; and on the other hand the continuously favourable economic situation of recent years. The general death-rate for Melbourne City was 11.5 deaths per thousand living, which is lower than any figure recorded in the last 15 years. As was mentioned last year, a rapid increase in the number of children tends to lower the general death-rate, and a favourable year from the point of view of infectious diseases and respiratory infections has the same effect. CHILD WELFARE The report by Dr. Hilda E. Kincaid, who is in charge of the Child Welfare Branch, gives details of the year’s activities, and includes some interesting comments upon the health and condition of infants and pre-school children in the City . As judged by the course of the death- rates over recent years, their health is improving. Dr. Kincaid believes, also, that the condition of the teeth is improving, though there are no statistics which are adduced in support of this. The department has certain statistical records of the condition of a large sample of the pre-school population, which was prepared 10 years ago and published in the report of 1937, and it is hoped, within the coming year, to make an analysis of recent data for comparison with those of 10 years ago. In any case, it is manifest that there is still a large amount of preventable disease or defect discoverable among the pre-school children of the City. Unhealthy conditions of the mouth, in¬ cluding dental caries, and of the throat are two examples of very prevalent defects which are, to some extent at least, preventable and remediable. Another example is to be found in the pre¬ valence of “problem children” whose progress and development are greatly hindered by unwise handling or by unfortunate conditions in the home, many of which on investigation prove to be remediable. It is obvious that these unhealthy conditions, so damaging to the whole future of the in¬ dividual, can only be dealt with if facilities exist for regular supervision of the children by trained personnel, and it is generally agreed that attendance at satisfactory nursery schools or kindergartens is the best means through which this supervision can be maintained, apart from the other major advantages which the children derive from attendance there. It is just as im¬ portant that a child should attend a kindergarten as that he should go to school later on. The re¬ cognition of this fact has led to further development of the kindergarten movement and of public interest therein, and it is deplorable that the shortage of materials and the prevailing economic and social confusion are delaying the provision of kindergartens. A large population, including many children, inhabits the central area of the metropolis where much of the housing is of poor quality and can only very gradually be improved and replaced by modern housing, and it is ob¬ vious that the provision of kindergartens for these children is as urgent a meaure of our housing as is the building of new houses for individual families. The City of Melbourne is in a relatively fortunate position in that nearly one-third of its pre-school children is accommodated in kindergartens, but it is regrettable that no large extension of accommodation was accomplished during the year. The Roman Catholic Church, however, con¬ tinued its program of improvements and opened an excellent small kindergarten at Gower Street, Kensington. The Methodist Church further improved its hall in Brougham Street, North Mel-