The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-07-09
STORk FAR AHEAD
Of GRIM REAPER
Report Shows Births in ~ States
Exceed Deaths by 74.4
Per Cent.
BIRTH RATE 24.6 Per 1000
Reports From Registration Area Show
Birth Of 14,394 Pairs of Twlns
xnd 1856 Sets of Triplets
In 1917.

WdSn1ngTOn.-ln the Dl~rtn-reSlStTd-
ton area of the United States 1853
1872 infants were born alive In 1917,
representing a birth rate Of 24.6 per
1000 population.
The total number of deaths In the
same area was 1922, or AL per
1000. The births exceeded the deaths
by 74.4 per cent. For every state In
the registration area, for practically
all the cities and for nearly all the
counties, the births exceeded the
deaths, In most cases by considerable
proportions. The mortality rate for
infants under n year of age aver
aged 93.8 per 1000 living births.
The foregoing are among the facts
brought out by the ensus bureaus
annual compilation of birth statistics.
The birth-registration area, estab-
lished In 1915, has grown rapidly. 1t
comprised In 1917 the six New Eng
land states, Indiana, Kansas, Ken
lucky, Maryland, Michigan Washing
ton, Wisconsin and the District of Co
lumbia, and had an estimated popula-
ton of s 5,OOO,O 600, or about So per cent
of the estimated total population Of
the United States In that year.
Comparison With 1915.
The birth rate for the entire birth
registration area fell below that for
1915 by two-tenths of one per 1000
population; but the death rate was
less by six-tenths of one per thousand
than In 1915. Thus the excess of the
birth rate over the death rate for 1917,
which amounted to 10.5 per 1000, was
somewhat greater than the correspond
ing excess for 1916, 1O.1 per 1000,
although 1t fell slightly below that for
1916, 1913 per 1000.
III the birth and death rates prevail
ing in any one Of these three years
were to remain unchanged, and Ii no
migration were to take place to or
from the area to which they relate, Its
population would increase at the rate
Of slightly more than l per cent per
annum, or a little more than 10 per
cent In q decade. This would be about
half the rate-21 per cent-by which
the entire population Of the United
States increased between 1900 and
1910.
or the total number of births report
ed 1,280,2S8, or 24.5 per 1000, were Of
white infants, and 1854. or 25.S per
1000. were Of negro infants. The
death rates for the two elements Of
the population were 1877 and 22.5 per
1000 respectively.
The infant mortality rate-that is,
the number of deaths of infants under
one year of age per 1000 born alive
as a whole was 93.S In 1917, as against
101 In 1915 and 100 In 1915. This is
equivalent to saying that In 1915 and
1915 Of every ten infants born alive
one died before reaching the age of
one year, whereas In 1917 the CORE
spending ratio was a trifie more than
one In eleven. Among the twenty states
these rates ranged from 67.4 for Min
nesota to 1919 for Maryland; and fol-
the white population separately ths
lowest and the highest rates were 66.s
for Washington and 109.5 for New
Q Hampshire.
8 The infant mortality rates var!
!, greatly for the two sexes and for tn,
various n~ationalities. The rate fol
a male infants in 1917, 1887 per 100
Q living births, was nearly 35 per cen
y greater than that for female infants
which vas only 1873. When the com
parison Is made on the basis Of race
. or nationality of mother a minimum o
9 06.2 per 1000 births is shown for in
e fants with mothers born In Denmark
Norway and Sweden, and a maximum
Of 172.8 for infants with mothers borl
In Poland, while for negro children tn
e rate was 1856.
The reports from the registration
q area show the birth of 14,394 pairs O
J. twins and 1856 sets of triplets in 1917
g In all, 2Q,253 infants, or a little NOR
than 2 per cent Of the total humble
le born.
e. Number for Family.
III The reports for 1.241, 722 of tn
q births occurring In 1917 contained In
formation as to number of child |
D. order Of birth. OF these reports 339
y O42 were for the first child born t
the mother. 264,O44 for the secon
child, 101, 528 for the third, 144,39
for the fourth, and 95.931 fo
the fifth. In the remaining 216.S4
cases. or 17.5 per cent Of the entir
number for which information upo
this point was obtained, the total nun
Der Of children borne by the motht
Z was six or more In 81 1914 cases 1t wa
' ten or more; In LOCO, fifteen or more
In So cases. twenty or more.
The total number Of children born
= by the mothers who gave birth I
these 1,241,722 infants In 1917. |
!. whose cases data were available as
4 previous births, was 4.O93,9OS. I'll
reports for 1.194.621 Of the births o
= curing In 1917 contained informatio
AZ to the entire number Of childre
q borne by the mothers and still Twin
!. and give q total OF 3,443, 466, or an a
!. erage Of very nearly three living chi
dren In each family In which 4 biri