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Births.
11
(97 males and 89 females), equal to 6.2 per cent. of the corrected total number of births, as
compared with 5.7 in 1911 and 4.8 in 1910. The proportion of female to male births was as
917:1,000, as compared with 810:1,000 in 1911. Information as to the numbers of
illegitimate births belonging to the individual Wards and the proportions of such births to all
births will be found in Table 5.
Notification of Births.—The certificates received in pursuance of the Notification of
Births Act, 1907 (adopted by the Council in May, 1908), numbered 3,128, relating to 2,861 births.
In 1911,2,910 certificates were received, relating to 2,782 births, the corresponding figures for
1910 being 2,793 and 2,707. The foregoing figures show a satisfactory increase in the practice of
notification. The certificates received from medical practitioners during the year (1,137)
constituted 36.3 per cent. of the total number, as compared with 23.3 per cent. in 1911 and
18.9 per cent. in 1910. The certificates received from midwives (1,080) formed 34.5 per cent. of
the total (34.6 and 36 per cent. in 1911 and 1910 respectively), and those from parents (715),
22.7 per cent. (36.3 in 1911 and 39 7 in 1910).
The 2,861 births notified included 76 of illegitimate children (2.6 of the total, as compared
with 3.4 in 1911 and 2.6 in 1910). Among the children whose births were notified from the
Workhouse Lying-in Wards the illegitimates constituted 51.3 per cent. (57 out of 111), and
among those notified from nursing homes 14.3 per cent. (2 out of 14).
Of the 2,774 births registered during the year only 99 (3.5 per cent.) had not been previously
notified. The improvement in notification is clearly shown by the appended figures.

Of Illegitimate Births—Borough.
Percentages Registered after Notification.
1909, 71.3. 1910, 74.5. 1911, 93.5. 1912, 94.9.
Still-Births.—Although the registration laws take no cognisance of children not born alive,
and allow the bodies of children alleged to have been born dead to be buried, or otherwise
disposed of, on very informal evidence, yet the Notification of Births Act requires the birth of
every dead child, born after twenty-eight weeks' gestation, to be notified. Last year 75 stillbirths
were reported, equal to 2.6 per cent. of all the births notified. The corresponding proportions
in 1911 and 1910 were 3.1 and 2.6 respectively. In the Metropolis the proportions of stillbirths
(per cent. of the total births notified) were 2.2 in 1910, 2.3 in 1911, and 2.4 last year.
Among the 2,785 legitimate births notified during the past year there were 70 still-births,
equal to 2.5 per cent. of the whole, and among the 76 illegitimate births 5, equal to 6.5 per cent.
Ten of the still-births occurred among children born at multiple births, 8 being the second
children of twins and 2 the produce of a single twin-birth. Altogether 54 twin births were
notified, in 45 of which both children were alive, 8 one dead, and 1 both dead. An analysis of the
twin births is given below. Among the children born in multiple births, the still-births formed
9.2 per cent. of the whole; among males 11.1 and among females 7.4.
All Births. Illegitimate.
Twin Births— (Totals) M.M. M.F. F.F. (Totals) M.M. M.F. F.F.
Both children alive (45) 12 17 16 — — — —
One child dead (8) 4 3 1 (2) 1 1 —
Both dead (1) 1 — — — — — —