[Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Rochdale County Borough.

  • Rochdale (Lancashire, England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1959
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Rochdale County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/118 (page 7)
    VITAL STATISTICS Population The Registrar General’s estimate of the population as at mid-year 1959 is 84,690. This compares with the mid-year estimate of 84,890 in 1959 and the 1951 Census figure of 88,429, and is less than the population of the town as constituted in 1903. During 1959 there was a decrease in births and an increase in deaths, giving a narrow margin of births over deaths of precisely 19 persons. Live Births The live birth rate was equal to 15.9 per 1,000 of the estimated population. The figure for the previous year was 16.5. For the ten years 1949-58 the average birth rate was 15.1 per 1,000. The proportion of illegitimate births was greater than the previous figure, 90 this year as compared with 81 last year, representing 6.7% of the total births. In the last six years the figure has varied between 5.4% and 6.7%. Still Births There were 49 still births recorded as against 35 in 1958, this being the highest figure recorded since 1948. The average for the preceding five years was 34 still births. An analysis of the cases, both domiciliary and hospital, failed to provide any definite conclusion as to the cause of this increased mortality figure. Infant Mortality There were 39 deaths registered under one year of age, equal to a mortality rate of 29 per 1,000 live births registered, compared with 32 deaths and a mort¬ ality rate of 23 in 1958. The lowest figure ever recorded for the County Borough was 21 deaths in 1955, equal to a rate of 17 per 1,000 live births. The biggest factor in this increased number of deaths is the group ‘Other Causes’, which has risen from eight in 1958 to seventeen this year. It is obviously extremely difficult to draw any deductions from classifications of this type. Table I (Page 78) shows comparative figures for Infantile Mortality in the Borough. Premature Births The following Table which sets out the fate of 106 Rochdale children who were prematurely born during the year is of continuing interest. The figures in this Table do not coincide with those given elsewhere as deaths during the year due to prematurity. They are, however, strictly comparable with the Tables given in the Report for the last few years.