BOY BABIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 85, 3 January 1918, Page 3

BOY BABIES

NOTABLE INCREASE IN WAR, TIME. An unprecedented increase in the ratio of boy babies to girl babies born in England and Wales is noted in the vital statistics lor the yeTirs 1914-15 and 191-5-16. In the year from July 1, 191-1, to June 30, 1915, 415,203 bovs and 399,-109 girls were born, the ratio being 1040 to 1000. The March quarter, which was really unaffected by the war, showed a ratio of 1032 males to 1000 females. The December quarter showed a ratio of 1014 males to 1000 fomales. For 1916 the ratios are: March quarter, 1050 males to 1000 females; Juno quarter, 1051; September, 1045; and'', December,- 1050. <

The year from July 1, 1915, to June 30, 191G, is the first complete year during which the births have been fully affected by war conditions, and in this the ratio is 1047 males to 1000 females. This is considerably higher than any recorded in fifty years. Apropos of these figures an explanation of the preponderance of male children in the birth-rate of France since the war is given by the official organ of the French Academy of Medicine. For some months statisticians have been compiling figures showing officially that the number of births of male infants in Franco has surpassed that of females. This caused a certain feeling of satisfaction because it seemed that in this manner Nature was automatically making good the losses in the male population caused by the war. According to our authority the explanation is that women who are extremely fatigued through arduous labour, such as working ten hours in munition factorios, tilling fields, and acting as drivers of street cars, can become the mothers of male children only. Gynecologists of renown have agreed that such is always the result when women'arc overworked or required to'do the labour ordinarily performed by men.