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41
The Birth Rate for the year, calculated on the figure of 3,404
live births, is 14.86 per 1,000 of the population, 0.76 lower than
that computed for 1967. With an area comparability factor of 1.04,
an adjusted rate of 15.45 is returned compared with 16.9, the figure
for England and Wales and 15.25 for the Greater London area.
Inner London returned an unadjusted rate of 16.9.
Illegitimate Births
The degree of illegitimacy is usually evaluated by calculating
illegitimate births as a percentage of total live births. This is satisfactory
for the short term assessment but if the legitimate rate is
declining and the illegitimate remains constant, there will be an
apparent but not necessarily a real increase in illegitimacy.
It would appear generally to be the case that illegitimacy is
greatest when social standards, cultural and material, are low and,
collectively, factors such as an insecure family life, poor and overcrowded
homes, lack of direction and personal drive in life, etc.,
seem to be implicated.
In London, rates tend to be higher than that for the country as
a whole possibly by reason of a higher proportion of single females
but very probably because of its compelling attraction to pregnant
women who find not only anonymity but better facilities in the
ante-natal, maternity, social and welfare fields.
Illegitimate births in Greenwich during the current year numbered
332. equivalent to 9.7% of all live births registered, a
decrease of 0.4% from that of the previous year. In effect, this
means that one baby in every ten born of Greenwich residents was
illegitimate. Even so, this situation was the most favourable of all
the Inner London Boroughs whose average illegitimacy was 15.5%.
Figures for the Greater London area and for England and Wales
were 11.5% and 8.5% respectively. In each case, the perecentage
quoted shows an increase over the previous year's figure.
Effects of the Abortion Act, 1967, (which became operative on
27th April, 1968) are probably not reflected in the current year's
figures but they may well tend to reduce the number of illegitimate
live births in future years.
Stillbirths
There has been a steady reduction of the stillbirth rate in England
and Wales from the 1930 figure of 41 to the present rate
of 14.3.
Recent studies instituted by the Medical Research Council, et al,
have confirmed that the mother's age, parity and social class were
found to be significant factors affecting stillbirths. Furthermore,