Annual report of the Medical Department / Colony of Singapore.

  • Singapore. Medical Department.
Date:
[1953]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Department / Colony of Singapore. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    34/298 (page 20)
    68. It will be observed from a following table that while the ages of mothers range from 12 years to more than 45 years, no less than 8,348 babies out of a total of 54,562, i.e. more than 15 per cent, were born to women under 21 years. What effect this must have in contributing to our comparatively high infant mortality rate as judged by Western standards it is difficult to assess. Indeed, the fact that the Malays who have the highest infant mortality rate (124.38 against the 67.04 for all races), gave birth to 2,528 out of a total of 7,276 deliveries, i.e. nearly 35 per cent, in this age group (12-20) of adolescence and near childhood, would suggest that pregnancy in these years carries an added risk of death to the new-born infant. In fact, motherhood in this age-group has increased among Malays from 32 per cent in 1952 to 35 per cent during the current year. BIRTH AND BIRTH RATES 1931 1947 1952 1953 Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Chinese 15,993 37.85 33,629 46.20 39,088 47.09 41,653 48.48 Malays 2,862 43.69 5,473 47.73 6,858 52.09 7,276 53.15 Indians 1,020 19.64 3,087 43.30 3,672 45.84 3,956 45.36 Europeans 169 20.55 312 35.79 757 51.97 00 53.95 Eurasians 199 28.53 359 39.84 359 33.18 325 29.20 Others 227 29.09 185 28.27 460 46.32 499 47.37 Unknown • • • • 2 • • Total .. 20,470 36.37 43,045 45.89 51,196 47.53 r 54,562 48.68 Males 10,753 22,152 26,342 * r, 28,179 Females 9,717 • • 20,893 • • 24,854 26,383 Total .. 20,470 43,045 • • 51,196 . .. 54,562 Male births per 100 births 1 • • 52.04 • • 51.23 • • 51.45 • • 51.65