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Live Births
There, were 6,054 live births registered in the Borough during the year.
After correction for place of residence, the number allocated to the Borough
was 3,867, comprising 1,986 boys and 1,881 girls, a decrease of 159 from 1964.
giving a birth rate of 18.90 per 1,000 population compared with 19.53 last
year. When adjusted by the Registrar-General's area comparability factor for
the Borough, which makes allowances for differences in the age and sex distribution
of the population throughout the country, the rate is 17.58, compared with
18.0 for England and Wales.
Illegitimate Live Births
The number of illegitimate live births during the year was 477,equivalent
to 12. 33% of the total live births. The percentage for the former three
boroughs for 1964 was 12.04.
One in every eight babies born of Tower Hamlets residents in 196.. was
illegitimate. This is almost twice the national percentage and is probably
accounted for by a high proportion of immigrants in the Borough and the influx
of unmarried women from all parts of the country who come to London to have their
babies under the cloak of anonymity and where they can receive assistance from
moral welfare organisations.
Still births
This year stillbirths numbered 58,equivalent to a rate of 14.77 per
1,000 total births compared with 17.21 in 1964. The rate for England and Wales
was 15.7.
Deaths
The number of deaths registered, 2,280. shows an increase of 24 over the
figure for last year. The death rate was 11.10, and when adjusted by the
comparability factor becomes 12.76 as compared with 11.5 for the country as a
whole.The largest single cause of death was heart disease - 28%of total deaths,
followed by cancer 23% and respiratory conditions 17%.
The various causes of death and distribution by age groups are set out in
Table 1 , on page 79 .
Infant Mortality
Deaths during the first year of life numbered 76 equivalent to a rate of
19.65 per 1,000 live births. The rate for the three former boroughs for the
previous year was 22.4 and for 1963 23.6. Minor fluctuations occur in years
in the same decade but generally the downward trend continues: in 1931 the
comparable rate for the area was 77 per 1,000 live births and in 1921 almost
one in ten babies died before their first birthday. The rate for England and
Wales was 19.0, the lowest rate ever.
14.