[Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Benfleet U.D.C., Canvey Island U.D.C., Rayleigh U.D.C., Rochford R.D.C. (South East Essex).

  • Benfleet (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1964
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Benfleet U.D.C., Canvey Island U.D.C., Rayleigh U.D.C., Rochford R.D.C. (South East Essex). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    COMMICNTS ON \'1TAL Sl'ATlS'nCS J^irt/is Li\’e births in the four districts during tlie year numbered 2,46(S rejiresenting an increase of 191 over the previous year. It was pointed out in last vear’s Annual Report that the birth rate for England and Wales while continuing to rise was doing so at a slower rate. The same phenomenon may now be showing itself in South East Essex although the rate itself is much higher than that for England and Wales. Thus the increase in England ancl Wales over the past three years has been from 18 per 1,000 (1962) to 18.2 per 1,000 (1963), and to 18.4 per 1,000 (1964); that for South East Essex has been 20 per 1,000 (1962), 20,9 per 1,000 (1963), and 21,4 per 1,000 (1964). A respite would not be unwelcome either to the hospital or the domiciliary services although the total number of births is bound to increase because of continued immigration and a consequent rapid rise in the size of the population. Illegitimacy in the four districts rose fractionally from 37.8 to 38.1 per 1,000 births, an increase of 0.3 ]ier 1,000 as compared to an increase of 4.1 per 1,000 the previous year. W'e are still fortunately a long wav behind the distressing national figure of 72 per 1,000. Perinatal Mortality (stillbirths and deaths in the first week of life) After the disappointing figure reached in 1963 (29.3 per 1,000 births), it is gratifying to be able to report that in 1964 the perinatal mortality rate fell to 22.2 per 1,000 births; the lowest figure ever reached. The following graph shows the fall over the past few years.