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BIRTHS.
5. The number of births was 2,578, viz., 662 in Woolwich
parish, 665 in West Plumstead, 710 in Bast Plumstead, and 541 in
Eltham (corrected for children bom in the Infirmary, and the
Wood Street Home for Mothers and Babies, whose parents reside
outside the Borough, and births in outlying institutions). The
birth rate (calculated on the total population) 16.5 compares
with 17.1 in 1917. The rate for the County of London was 16.1.
Notification of Births. 2,418 live births were notified
under the Notification of Births Act (1,238 males, 1,172 females,
8 not stated). This is at the rate of 94 per cent of the registered
births, compared with 92, 89, 97, 86 and 95 per cent in the
five preceding years. 1,515 births were notified by midwives,
137 by the Hospital for Mothers and Babies, 340 by medical
practitioners and 303 by other persons. 70 still.births were
notified (79, 59, 75, 77 and 88 in 1913 to 1917 respectively).
Of the still.bom, 37 were males and 33 females.
The Notification of Births Act was adopted on March 1st.
1908. There were 160 births last year which were not notified.
All the parents, midwives and Doctors who neglected to notify were
cautioned. The excuse generally given by the midwife was, that
the notification must have been lost in the post, and by the
Doctor, forgetfulness. The parents either did not know their
responsibility, or thought it had been discharged by the professional
attendant.
6. The following table gives the birth rate of the borough
during the years 1901-5, 1906-10, 1911-1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918,
and, for the purposes of comparison, the corresponding rates of
the neighbouring Boroughs, London and England:-