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Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health
for the year 1966
Vital Statistics
Area and Population
The London Borough of Hounslow has an area
of 14,469 acres and an estimated population of
207,320 which is a reduction of 1,573 compared
with the 1961 census.
Live Births
The number of live births occurring during 1966
was 3,519 (1816 male and 1703 female) which
gives a live birth rate of 17 per 1,000 population.
Apart from other causes the rate will vary
according to the age and sex distribution of the
population and to allow a valid comparison with
other areas the Registrar General provides an
area comparability factor. When this is applied
the rate becomes 16.5 compared with a provisional
rate of 17.7 for the whole of England and
Wales. The local and national live birth rates
show decreases of 0.1 and 0.4 respectively
compared with those for the previous year.
Almost one in ten live births were illegitimate.
Stillbirths
Forty stillbirths occurred during the year
compared with 51 during 1965. Three were
registered as illegitimate. The stillbirth rate was
11.2 compared with 15.4 for the country as a
whole.
Deaths
During the year 2,230 borough residents died,
more than one half from cancer or heart disease.
The crude death rate of 10.8 when adjusted by
the area comparability factor was 11.2 compared
with an estimated rate of 11.7 for England and
Wales. The rate for Hounslow increased by 0.5
over that for 1965. Sixty seven per cent of all
deaths were of persons aged 65 years or over.
Infant Mortality
There were 69 deaths of children under one year
of age compared with 55 during 1965. Eight of
these were illegitimate. The infant mortality rate
was 19.6 compared with 19 for England and
Wales.
Although the Hounslow rate shows a
comparatively large increase compared with that
of 15.5 for the previous year it is not significantly
higher for that of the whole country. Nevertheless
although the increase is deplored it will
undoubtedly act as a stimulus and a reminder of
the need for eternal vigilance in this field.
The causes of death and the ages at which they
occurred are shown in Table 2 and it will be
noticed that 62 per cent of all infant deaths
occurred before the end of their first week of life.
Maternal Mortality
One death was due to causes associated with
pregnancy which gave a maternal mortality rate
of 0.29 per 1,000 total live and still births
compared with 0.25 for England and Wales.
Infectious Diseases
International certificates of vaccination and
inoculation against smallpox, yellow fever and
cholera
Applications for authentication dealt with by the
medical officer of health numbered 12,415
compared with 3,387 for 1965 and constituted
a substantial item of work.

The table on page 100 gives the number of cases
notified under age groups.
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