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reached the age of one year during 1914 was 957, being 27 less
than in 1913. This is equivalent to an infant death-rate of 108 per
1,000 births. The average rate during the past five years 1909-1913
was 112 per 1,000 births. Practically one-fifth of these infants died
within a week of birth, and about one-third within a month.
Notification of Births Act, 1907.—The adoption of this
Act by the Council on 14th January, 1908, received the sanction of
the Local Government Board and came into operation in the Borough
on 9th March, 1908.
The Act provides for the notification in writing of every birth,
whether still-born or otherwise, to the Medical Officer of Health
. within 36 hours of its occurrence by the father if he is actually
residing in the house or by any person in attendance upon the
mother at the time of or within six hours after the birth. The Act
also provides for the inspection by the Registrars of Births and
Deaths of the register kept or notifications received, and has been of
much assistance to the Registrars in enabling them to check false
information and false addresses.
Every medical practitioner and midwife is supplied with prepaid
post-cards as required by the Act, and the following are the figures
for the year :—
Actual number of births received 7,650
Duplicate notifications 13
Still births 230
Notifications of births which belonged
to other districts 100
343
Net West Ham births notified 7,307
Of the total 8,848 West Ham births registered in the year 196
were illegitimate, and of the total infant deaths 42 were illegitimate.