London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of Westminster 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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The number of married women between the ages of 15 and
45 in Westminster is estimated to be 17,967, and the unmarried and widows at the same age-period 38,343.
| Westminster. | 1E03. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | 1908. | 1909. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legitimate Births (net) | 3,051 | 2,920 | 2,971 | 2,744 | 2,764 | 2,739 | 2,548 |
| Per 100 Married | 15 6 | 15.6 | 10.1 | 15.0 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 14.2 |
| Illegitimate Births (net) | 150 | 134 | 149 | 187 | 163 | 174 | 203 |
| Per 100 Unmarried | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.37 | 0.48 | 0.42 | 0.41 | 0.53 |
| 22.3 | 21.8 | 21.2 | 20.9 | 20.2 | 19.8 | 19.0 | |
| Illegitimate per 100 Unmarried | 0.63 | 0.65 | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.57 | 0.59 | 0.55 |
The Notification of Births Act was adopted in 1908, and came into
operation on January 18th, 1910.
In order to acquaint the inhabitants of the City that the Act
requires notification of all births to the Medical Officer of Health
within 36 hours after the birth has occurred, circulars were freely
distributed, placards exhibited, and advertisements inserted in the local
Press. All doctors and midwives residing or practising in the City
were advised, and requested to bring the provisions of the Act to the
notice of parents who are the persons primarily responsible. Stamped
addressed cards are supplied, on application, for the purpose of notifying.
It will take some time before the public become aware of this new
requirement, but in some parts of the City the returns have been very
satisfactory. On comparing the list of births eventually registered
with those notified it is found that more notifications have been received
from the poorer districts than from those inhabited by the well-to-do.
As the object of early notification is to enable advice to be given to
the mother in regard to the rearing and nurture of the child, where
necessary, it is of less importance that these latter have failed to notify.
Letters have been addressed to a number of fathers who have not
notified, asking for an explanation; ignorance was pleaded as an excuse
in each instance.
The operation of the Act has had other results. From the experience
of previous years in which infant visiting has been carried on, it
was known that irregularities occurred, especially among the foreign
population, with regard to registration of births. The registrars now
have access to the notification lists, and are thus enabled to check their
lists, and to obtain earlier registration.
Difference in the dates on which births have occurred is not at all
unusual. In some instances this is due to forgetfulness, in some it
appears to be due to the parent having calculated the date by the
Russian calendar; but in a few cases, in which the difference of date has
been considerable, there had evidently been delay in registering, so, to
save the extra fee which would be charged, the date was altered to