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
London County Council 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Illegitimacy—
Table (iii)—
| Year | Illegitimate live births | Illegitimate live births as a percentage of total live births | Ratio London/ England and Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London (A.C.) | England and Wales | |||
| 1955 | 3,827 | 7.7 | 4.7 | 1.64 |
| 1956 | 4,434 | 8.5 | 4.8 | 1.77 |
| 1957 | 4,686 | 8.9 | 48 | 1.85 |
| 1958 | 5,343 | 9.9 | 4.9 | 2.02 |
| 1959 | 5,765 | 10.4 | 5.1 | 2.03 |
| 1960 | 6,530 | 11.4 | 5.4 | 2.11 |
| 1961 | 7,632 | 12.7 | 6.0 | 2.12 |
| 1962 | 8,835 | 14.1 | 6.6 | 2.13 |
| 1963 | 9,035 | 14.2 | 6.9 | 2.06 |
| 1964 | 9,080 | 14.3 | 7.2 | 1.99 |
The increase in the percentage of illegitimate live births in London noted in previous
years shows signs of slowing down, but the London figure is currently twice the national
percentage compared with about one and a half times as great ten years earlier. As in the
previous year, one in every seven babies born of London 'residents' in 1964 was illegitimate;
in Paddington it was as high as one in four born illegitimate. The age of the mothers of
these illegitimate children is shown in table (iv) below.
T able (iv)—
| Age of mother (a) (years) | London (A.C.) | England and Wales 1963 % | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | ||||||
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||
| 12 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0.02 | 1 | 0.01 | 0.0 |
| 13 | 4 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.01 | 4 | 0.04 | 1 | 0.01 | 0.0 |
| 14 | 11 | 0.1 | 19 | 0.2 | 19 | 0.2 | 9 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| 15 | 61 | 0.8 | 104 | 1.2 | 93 | 1.0 | 70 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| 16 | 147 | 1.9 | 168 | 1.9 | 196 | 2.2 | 202 | 2.2 | 3.8 |
| 17 | 239 | 3.1 | 297 | 3.4 | 329 | 3.6 | 361 | 4.0 | 5.6 |
| 18 | 388 | 5.1 | 440 | 50 | 436 | 4.8 | 477 | 5.2 | 7.0 |
| 19 | 508 | 6.7 | 603 | 6.8 | 690 | 7.6 | 606 | 6.7 | 8.0 |
| 20-24 | 2,780 | 36.4 | 3,254 | 36.8 | 3,265 | 36.2 | 3,301 | 36.4 | 32.2 |
| 25-29 | 1,714 | 22.5 | 2,017 | 22.8 | 2,018 | 22.4 | 2,091 | 23.0 | 19.4 |
| 30-34 | 998 | 131 | 1,112 | 12.6 | 1,141 | 12.6 | 1,127 | 12.4 | 11.9 |
| 35-39 | 581 | 7.6 | 610 | 6.9 | 622 | 6.9 | 601 | 6.6 | 7.1 |
| 40-44 | 186 | 2.4 | 196 | 2.2 | 206 | 2.3 | 219 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| 45 and over | 15 | 0.2 | 14 | 0.2 | 14 | 0.2 | 14 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Total | 7,632 | 100.0 | 8,835 | 100.0 | 9,035 | 100.0 | 9,080 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
(a) Cases in which the mother's age was not stated (40 in 1961, 42 in 1962, 39 in 1963, 33 in 1964) have
been proportionally distributed.
It will be noted that the national figures show proportionately more illegitimacies among
mothers below the age of 20 years.
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