View report page

8
The Act requires the Notification to the Medical Officer of
Health of all Births in the Borough, so that:—
1. Within 36 hours after the birth of a child within the
Borough, notice must be given to the Medical Officer of
Health.
(a) By the father if he is residing at the time of the birth
in the house where the birth takes place.
(b) By any person who at the time of the birth or within
6 hours thereafter was in attendance on the mother.
2. Every birth must be notified whether the child be born
alive or dead.
3. Any person failing to give notice of a birth as required,
is liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding twenty
shillings.
4. As well as notifying the birth to the Medical Officer
of Health the persons responsible must register it with the
Registrar in the usual way.
All Doctors and Midwives residing or practising in the Borough
are, on application, provided without charge with stamped
addressed letter cards, which may be used for the purpose of
notifying the births.
Since the adoption of the Act, the work has proceeded very
smoothly. There is still occasionally a little delay on the part of
the parent in sending in the form. When this happens the father
is written to and his omission pointed out. The explanation
usually tendered is ignorance of the existence of the Act, or a
confusion with the terms of the Births and Deaths Registration
Act ot 1874, which enacts that all births must be registered within
42 days.
As a result of comparison with the returns of the registrars, a
comparison which is carried out regularly, since by the Act these
officials are to be allowed access to the notification lists, persons