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
Acton 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Acton]
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The corresponding figures for previous years, and the birtli rate for 1936 of the
County of London and the Metropolitan Boroughs, are given on pages 14 and 16 respectively.
The following table gives the number of births and the birth rate in each Ward of the Borough for the year 1936, and for comparison the figures for the previous year are also given:—
Ward Births and Birth Rates.
| Ward. | 1936. | 1935. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Births. | Birth Rate. | Births. | Birth Rate. | |
| 425 | 12.6 | |||
| 2 | 271 | 14.7 | ||
| 3 | 491 | 15.8 | ||
| 4 | 347 | 15.5 | ||
| 5 | 353 | |||
| 6 | 229 | 13.6 | ||
| 7 | 107 | 8.8 | ||
| 8 | 243 | 10.1 | ||
| 2466 | 13.3 | |||
No less than 2,729 births occurred in Public Institutions in St. Pancras, equal to
72'9 per cent, of the total births which took place in the Borough.
Illegitimacy.
Of the 2,-389 net St. Pancras births, 233 were recorded as being illegitimate. This
equals 9-7 per cent, of the total births registered.
The corresponding figures for the preceding 10 years were as follows :—
| Year. | Rate. | Year. | Rate. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | 6.3 per cent. | 1931 | 8.3 per cent. |
| 1927 | 6.9 „ | 1932 | 8.0 „ |
| 1928 | 7.3 ,, | 1933 | 8.8 „ |
| 1929 | 7.8 „ | 1934 | 9.8 „ |
| 1930 | 8.4 „ | 1935 | 8.8 „ |
In the years before the great War the illegitimate births in the Borough were from 4
to 5 per cent, of the total births registered. During the war years the rate increased to about
9 per cent., and although a decrease then occurred, a steady increase in the number of illegitimate
births has taken place during the recent years.
Notification of Births.
The notifications of births received during the year numbered 3,879 : this figure includes
144 still-births and 3,735 live births, and represents 99.9 per cent, of the births registered as
having taken place in the Borough. The Notification of Births Acts (1907-1915) require:
" Information with regard to the event to be given to the Medical Officer of Health within 36