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11
Deaths
The deaths numbered 2,952, compared with 2,977 in 1956.
For 1957 the crude death-rate was 11.8 compared with 11.9 in
1956. The death-rate for England and Wales was 11.5.
There were 88 inquests held by Coroners in respect of
Croydon residents during 1957 and 417 findings by Coroners after
post-mortem without inquest.
Wards with the highest death-rate were South (14.6), and
Bensham Manor (12.5) Lowest: Addington (3.8), Shirley (7.3)
and West Thornton (8.6).
Still Births
During 1957, 72 still births were registered in respect of
Croydon. Of these, 31 were male babies and 41 females; 4 males
and 3 females were illegitimate. The proportion of still births
to living children was 1 in 49. The still birth rate was 2.0 per
cent, of the total births. The still birth rate, on the same
basis as for Infant Mortality, was 20.1 per 1,000 births.
Notifications of Births

Accommodation for Confinements
The following table shows where babies were born in Croydon
during 1957. These figures include 798 confinements of mothers
who were not residents of Croydon and exclude some 312 residents
of the borough who had their babies elsewhere. On balance
Croydon hospitals and maternity homes had an additional 486
cases with which to deal. The comparable figure for 1956 was
341, and since the Croydon birth rate fell in 1957, it is clear
that here is one reason for the present shortage of hospital
maternity beds in Croydon.