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24
The still birth rate is the number of children born dead, out of every thousand births
(live and still). It will be noticed that there has been a satisfactory fall from 1929, when it
was 34 .7, to 24.4 in 1947.
The number of illegitimate births in the borough has varied from 310 in 1918 to
313 in 1947. It was lowest at 159 in 1941, and highest at 332 in 1920. The percentage of
illegitimate births has varied from 5.5 in 1921 to 16.1 in 1945. For 1947 the number of illegitimate
births was 313, and the rate was 11.2 per cent. It will be noted that the rate for 1947 was
generally less than during the war years 1943.1946.
The morals of a country must not be judged by the percentage of children born
illegitimate for there are other factors of equal importance. So far as morals are concerned the
child bom within less than eight months of marriage was probably conceived before marriage;
furthermore, immorality does not always result in conception. An investigation of statistics
in England and Wales as a whole has shown that although during the war years the number
of children born illegitimate increased, the number born within less than eight months of marriage
actually decreased. This was due to the fact that whereas before the war marriage often took
place after pregnancy had occurred, circumstances were such during the war that this was not
always easy or possible, for a fiance might be in another part of England and Wales, or
abroad, and conception thus resulted in an illegitimate birth.
Of the greatest interest is the fall in the illegitimate death rate from 237 per thousand
in 1918 to 61 in 1947.
Deaths from Puerperal Causes.
Deaths.
Rate per 1,000 Live and Still Births.
Sepsis. Other causes. Total.
Puerperal Sepsis 1 0.35
Other maternal causes — —
0.35
Comparable figures for preceding years :—
Year.
1939 3 1.33
1940 6 2.98
1941 4 2.72
1942 8 4.36
1943 1 0.53
1944 6 3.04
1945 5 2.48
1946 4 1.56