The Wilmington morning star., 1945-09-17
~ C.. Infant Death Rate
Declining, Surrey Shows

The infant mortality rate is one
of the most sensitive of all in
dexes of adequate medical care,
facilities and services, says DR..
Selz c. Mayo, assistant rural So
ciologist of the Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station at State College.
Any society may be Judged by
this factor as the social and
economic status of people is
reflected in their infant mortality
rate.
There are just about the same
rurnber of infant deaths in North
Carolina each year as there are
deaths in all the population be-
tween one and 30 years of age,
DR.. Mayo says. In 1910 about Is
per cent, 4,631, of all the deaths
in the state were infants. BY
1912, this numt e. had dropped to
1924. These were babies who were
born alive but died before reach
ing their first birthday.
The rate at which infants die is
decreasing in North Carolina.
However, the relative decrease is
not uniform for the various parts
of the population.
In 1910 infants died at the rate
of 57.6 per 1000 live births but
by 1912 the rate was down to 48.3.
This represents decrease Of
about 16 per cent.
The nonwhite rate dropped a
greater amount than the white rate
from 1910 to 1912. But, relatively,
the decrease in the white rate was
greater than the nonwhite-17 per
cent as compared with IA per cent.
People who are living in the
rural areas of our state can take
some measure of pride in the fact
that babies born alive to the rural
residents in 1912 had better
chance of living to year old
than infants born to urban parents.
The rural rate decreased about
18 per cent from 1910 to 1912,
while in urban centers the de-
crease was only about 10 per
cent.
One of the important factors
that is necessary to understand
infant mortality in North Carolina
is knowledge of the time ele-
ment-when infants die.
| In 1912 a little over one half
of all infant deaths occurred be-
fore the babies had lived one
month these are known as neo-
natal deaths); the remaining
deaths occurred during the other
II months of the year. It is in.
teresting to note that 81 per cent
of the nonwhite infant deaths oe.
Cured before such infants had
reached one month of age.
From 1888 to 1912 the neo- natal
rate went down about 18 per cent
while there was decrease OF
about AZ per cent for the remain
ing II months. It is encouraging
10 ODSeIVe tHdI IACsC WV Ao'NS
decreased about the same per-
cenage during 1940-1942.
Infants do not die at the same
rate during each month Of the
year in North Carolina. In 1912.
the infant mortality rate in the
state was lowest in September and
highest in February. For the
United States, September was the
lowest month and January was the
highest. The neo-natal rate and
the rate for the remaining months
show about the same seasonal pat
tern.
The significant gains pointed out
are due largely to the extension
Of prenatal, obsterical and post
partum care. Extending such SER
vices are, in turn, due to many
things. Stepping up the extension
of the same services can speed
up the process of lowering our
infant mortality rate, DR.. Mayo
says. Facilities, education, and an
equitable method of payment are
the key factors in saving infant
lives in North Carolina.