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19
inward and outward transfers of births notified during the
course of the year, it would be fallacious to attempt to
arrive at the actual net figure of babies born to Bromley
parents because the machinery for notifying inward and
outward transfers between local authorities does not pursue
a systematic routine. We are thus dependant upon
registration rather than notification, although occasionally
a notified birth is found not to have been registered.
The Health Visitor not infrequently encounters the
"discovered on visit" case in the course of routine work,
and again one finds the case of the child entering school
life who has fortuitously escaped all visitation up to five
years of age; and unfortunately often a case suffering from
defect which has escaped corrective measures.
The following comparative table of birth rates shows
the decline which has been taking place during the past
ten years. It will be noted, however, that there is a slight
upward tendency since 1932 coinciding with the taking
over of the added areas of Hayes and Keston. The
deduction here would appear to be that influx of population
of young married persons to the building estates in
these areas and other parts of the Borough tends to inflate the rates.

Stillbirths.
The following table shows the number of stillbirths
occurring in Bromley, together with the rates per 1,000
births, chiring the past ten years:—