BIRTHS IN N.Z.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1929, Page 6

BIRTHS IN N.Z.

STILL A DECLINE. LOWEST TOTAL RECORDED SINCE, 1919. ’,V . No cessation ,of the annual decline in the number of births registered in New Zealand was recorded in 1928. The actual number recorded was 27,200 this being the lowest since 1919, and 381 below the total ifor 1927. This total is made up of 14,082 males and .13,1x6 L -.i Coinciding with-the decrease in the total births recorded the birth-rate during 1928 fell to the unprecdented low level of 19.56 per 1000 of the mean population. This figure compares with 20.29 for 1927—a decline of 3.59 per cent. V •. ' ; . v.;

With the exception of one year there has always been a preponderance of males in the number of 1 children born in New Zealand. This disparity between the sexes, however, varies greatly from year to year. The relation ship, of the figures for the two sex/ is generally expressed as a proportion of males' born tb every 1000 females. This ratio was, in 1928, 1073, a figure considerably higher than for 1927 1052—and also much higher than the average for the preceding 10 years- I —' 1055 The proportions vary greatly in different parts of the Dominion, ranging from 1030 males to 1000 females, in the case of the Marlborough Provincial District', to 1044 in the Westland Provincial District. ,

These are two outstanding features in the sex proportions of births during 1928. In the first place the general experieinicei is that the proportion of males among the first births is almost invariably higher than the corresponding proportion for all births. In 1928. however, it was somewhat surprising to find that the reverse was the case, the figure for first births being only 1C)39 males to 1000 females as compared with 1073 for all births.

Again it is usually assumed that the sex proportions of illegitimate children are more nearly equal than is the case with legitimate births. However, the 1928 figure of 1122 males to 1000 female births (nearly all'of whom would be first born infants) was substantially greater than the corresponding figure for legitimate births. The fluctuation n vne relative proportions between

two years 1927- and 1928, are remarkable, for in the previous year females actually exceeded males among the illegitimate births, the rate being 984 males to 1000 females.

MULTIPLE BIRTHS. Counting only cases where both children were born alive, there were 273 cases of twin births ip 1928. In addition there were four cases of triplets. Oil the average one mother in 97. gave birth to twins or triplets. This proportion is considerably lower than that usually attained in recent years, and shows a decrease when compared with the figure for 1927, which was one in 83.