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Among the illegitimate children the sexes were equally distributed, that is to say that to
every 1,000 males born during the year there were 1,000 females, in striking contrast to the
ratios for 1919 (1,000:899) and 1920 (1,000:1,101.)
Births in Institutions.—Of the 2,365 births registered within the Borough during the year
478 (18.0 per cent.) occurred in institutions, viz.:—91 in the Paddington Hospital (late
Paddington Infirmary), 69 in the Hospital for Women and Children (late Lock Hospital),
206 in St. Mary's Hospital and 112 in Private Nursing Homes. During 1919-20 the percentage
was 10.1 and during 1914-18, 6.1.
Of the 502 births transferred from outlying areas, 320 took place in institutions, equal
to 63.7 per cent. of all such births. The births in Poor Law Institutions numbered 46, those
in Lying-in Hospitals 245 (including 226 in Queen Charlotte's Hospital) and those in General
Hospitals. 29. In the two years 1919-20 the proportion of institutional births, included among
the transferred births was 76.0 per cent. and in the 5 years 1914-18, 90.0.
The proportion of the total births recorded, i.e., the number registered within the Borough
less births to non-resident parents added to the number of inward transfers, was 25.3 per cent.,
nearly 6 per cent. more than in 1920. The percentages of births in different classes of
institutions during the past eight years are shown below.

Maternity Wards were opened at The Hospital for Women and Children
(late The Lock Hospital) in 1918 and at St. Mary's Hospital in 1920.
The Lying-in Wards at the Paddington Hospital (late Paddington Infirmary)
were re-opened during 1921.
Multiple Births.—Thirty-two instances of twin pregnancies were recorded during the
year, equal to rather more than 1 per cent. of known pregnancies.