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Births.
9
examined by the Registrars of Births and Deaths, who "look up" births which they find have
not been registered and secure their registration.*
The births of 91 children took place in the Workhouse Lying-in Wards, such births
constituting 3.2 per cent. of the registered total, as compared with 3.8 in 1911 and 2.8 in 1910.
There were 45 multiple births registered (all of twins), as compared with 30 (all twins) in 1911
and 48 (47 twins and 1 triplet) in 1910. The twin births of last year comprised 10 in which
both children were males, 19 in which the sexes were mixed, and 16 in which both children were
females. One set of twins (both girls) was born to non-resident parents.
In Table 4 (page 12) comparisons are made between the births registered and the birth-rates
recorded in 1912 and previous years in the whole Metropolis and in the areas immediately adjacent
to the Borough. The figures given in that table have been taken from the Quarterly Reports of
the Registrar-General, except in the case of St. Marylebone. In that Borough the presence of
Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital renders the published numbers of births incomparable with
the figures for the other districts, and corrected numbers have been obtained from the Medical
Officer of Health of the Borough. It will be seen that while in four of the areas (Kensington,
Westminster, St. Marylebone, and Hampstead) the rates for last year were slightly higher than
the respective rates for 1911, in all areas those rates were notably below the mean rates
for 1907-11. The comparisons made are the only ones possible at present. Rates based
on the numbers of women of child-bearing ages form a safer guide as to the relative fertility,
whether compared geographically or with reference to secular changes. Such comparisons will
be made when the necessary data are obtainable from the census reports.
Corrected Figures.—Of the births registered within the Borough the Registrar-General
marked 31 (12 males and 19 females) for transfer to other districts, but, according to the local
Registrars' returns, the total number of children born within the Borough to non-resident parents
was 50 (26 of males and 24 of females). The 50 children included 26 born in the Workhouse
Lying-in Wards and 24 others born (for the most part) in nursing homes. The RegistrarGeneral
allocated to the Borough 272 births registered outside the Borough, but that total
included 5 children born in 1911 whose births were included in the report for that year, so
that the inward transfers to be counted this year numbered 267 (137 of males and 130 of
females). Complete particulars of these inward transfers have been obtained this year. Below
is a statement showing where such children were born.

*Provision is made in the Register for the entry of the week of registration of each live birth notified. Last
year eight notified births were not registered, at least not within the Borough where they should have been.
Enquiries were made at the addresses given in the notifications and it was ascertained that the families had gone
away without leaving any addresses. The facts were communicated to the Registrar-General.
c