ENG-1952 — Page 133

SOCIAL SERVICES

Registration Ordinance. The number of trained mid- wives qualified to practise, and registered with the Midwives Board, increased from 903 to 980.

The figure for maternal mortality showed a further satisfactory drop during the year to the low level of 1.14 per thousand births as compared with the figures of 1.59 in 1951, and 1.7 in 1950.

Child Health

There was a further decline in the infant mortality rate, the figure for the year being 77.1 per thousand live births as compared with 91.8 in 1951. Although the facilities available for the treatment of sick children were only slightly increased during the year there was a substantial increase in attendances, the total for 1952, 277,999, being some 82,000 greater than in the previous year. Children's clinics are provided at 17 places throughout the Colony.

Infant Mortality

Died under

Mortality rate

Year

1 year of

age

per 1,000 live births

1946

2,770

89.1

1947

4,346

102.3

1948

4,324

91.1

1949

5,444

99.4

1950

6,037

99.6

1951

6,285

91.8

1952

5,546

77.1

97