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The number of births registered in the district during the year
was 1211, an increase of 76 over the number registered in 1907.
As all births are registered in the district in which they
occur, this total includes a certain number of children of nonresident
women. If these outside births are deducted the actual
number of resident births becomes 1169, an increase of 84 over
the previous year. This increase of births amongst residents is
all the more satisfactory as there was an actual decrease in the
number of such births in 1907 compared with the total in 1906.
The total resident births in these three years were 1099 in 1906,
1085 in 1907, and 1169 in 1908.
The question of non-resident births is always a somewhat
difficult one to deal with fairly, and is especially so in this district,
owing to the fact that the workhouse infirmary for the Brentford
Union is situated in Isleworth, and that although women may be
admitted for confinement from other places the births are registered
as belonging to this district. In this way Isleworth really obtains
credit every year for a larger number of births than it is properly
entitled to. At the same time it is of course possible that some
Hestou and Isleworth babies may be born and registered away
from home. No official allowance is made in the Local Government
Board tables for non-resident births in the same way that
non-resident deaths are provided for, and therefore all births that
occur in any particular district are supposed to belong to that
district, but the point should be considered as in Isleworth at all
events it has a very considerable effect on the birth-rate.
Of the total number of births registered during the year, 628
were boys and 583 girls. This is the second consecutive year
in which the number of boys has exceeded the girls. Normally
throughout this country more boys than girls are born every year,