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40
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.
Although medically speaking there is no distinction between a
legitimate and an illegitimate birth, nevertheless, statistically it
can be demonstrated that illegitimacy reduces the chances of
survival in early infancy.
Society, as well as the individual, shares the onus of illegitimacy
and only widespread education in sexual responsibility can ameliorate the trauma and burden of unplanned pregnancy. Personal
counselling, not only on contraception but also on sexual and
emotional problems, could be of inestimable value to the young.
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 334, equivalent to 10.2% of all live births registered, an
increase of 0.5% over 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 15.4%.
Figures for the Greater London area and for England and Wales
were 11.0% and 8.4% respectively.
Effects of the Abortion Act, 1967, (which became operative on
27th April, 1968) are probably not reflected in the past two years'
figures but they may well tend to reduce the number of illegitimate
live births in the future.
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
13.2.