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Birth Rate
The Birth Rate which has been falling since 1946 again shows
a reduction from 14.82 to 14.61 in 1951. This compares with a
National Birth Rate figure of 15.5.
INFANT MORTALITY
During 1951 the number of births recorded was 876: 821
legitimate and 55 illegitimate.
There were 26 deaths of infants under one year of age as
compared with 20 in 1950, giving an infant mortality rate of 29,68
for 1951.
This rate compares with one of 22.37 for 1950, and is
therefore an increase on last year's figure which was the lowest
ever recorded in the Borough. As, however, the whole of this
increase is accounted for by the rise in the number of deaths from
congenital malformations, which were 10 in 1951 and only 3 in 1950;
and which are not truly preventable by public health measures in
the way that other infant deaths could be, it is not in any way an
alarming figure.
The local figure compares with the Infant Mortality Rate of
29.6 for England and Wales.
The graph on page 19 shows the progress of Infant Mortality
for the past 51 years.
The number of premature infants born in 1951 was 40. Of
these 8 were born at home, all of whom survived to the end of one
month. 32 were born in hospital, of whom 26 survived to the end of
one month.
Causes of infant deaths are shown on Table II on page 20.
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