View report page

Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health
for the year 1967
Vital Statistics
Area and Population
The London Borough of Hounslow has an area
of 14,469 acres and an estimated population of
206,870, which is 450 less than that for 1966 and
2,023 fewer than those counted during the
1961 census.
Live Births
The number of live births registered during the
year was 3,457 (1,786 male and 1,671 female)
which gives a crude live birth rate of 16.7 per
1,000 population.
Apart from other causes both birth and death
rates will vary according to the age and sex
distribution of the population, and to enable a
valid comparison with other areas the Registrar
General provides area comparability factors.
When the birth comparability factor of 0.97 is
applied, the Borough's live birth rate becomes 16.2
compared with a provisional figure of 17.2 for
England and Wales. Compared with the previous
year the local and national live birth rates each
show small decreases of 0.3 and 0.5 respectively.
The number of illegitimate births shows a
significant decrease from 340 in 1966 to 306 during
1967 which is 8.9 per cent of all live births and is
now only slightly greater than the national
percentage of 8.4. Unfortunately the decrease is
not reflected in the number of admissions to
mother and baby homes which in fact increased
by six to a total of 79 at a cost to the Council of
some £7,000. It is hoped that one of the effects of
the family planning act will be to reduce this
and the other costs of illegitimacy, but more
important the accompanying social consequences,
particularly those leading to unsuitable marriages
which so often result in early divorce or separation
with the loss of security to the mother and her
child and all the attendant misery and hardship.
Stillbirths
Stillbirths numbered 33 and showed a marked
decline compared with 51 and 40 recorded for
1965 and 1966 respectively.
Deaths
There were 2,215 deaths (1,152 male and 1,063
female). Almost one quarter of all deaths were
ascribed to some form of cancer and, as to be
expected, the lung and bronchus was most
commonly affected and resulted in the deaths of
135 men and 32 women.
The largest single cause of death however was
due to heart disease which claimed 799 victims—
the male again predominating—436 compared
with 363 females. Bronchitis caused 106 deaths
compared with 136 in 1966. Nine women and
4 men committed suicide. Sixty died as a result of
accidents, more than a third of these were involved
in motor vehicle accidents.
Infant Mortality
There was a large decrease in the number of
deaths of infants under one year of age. The
number of such deaths in 1965 was 55 rising to 69
last year and falling to 48 during 1967, giving an
infant mortality rate of 13.9 per 1,000 total live
births which is well below the rate of 18.3 for
England and Wales as a whole. It is noteworthy
that the death rate for illegitimate infants (26.1) is
more than double that for legitimate infants (12.7)
and there can be little doubt that last year the
increase in the number of illegitimate births
contributed to the large number of infant deaths.
Maternal Mortality
One death was ascribed to causes associated with
pregnancy giving a maternal mortality rate of 0.3
per 1,000 total live and still births compared with
0.2 for England and Wales.
Infectious Diseases
International certificates of vaccination and
inoculation against smallpox, yellow fever and
cholera
Applications for authentication dealt with by the
Medical Officer of Health numbered 4,171
compared with 12,415 for 1966 and 3,387 during
1965.
The number of corrected notifications of
infectious diseases received during the year
compared with previous years are summarised
overleaf.
18