Variations in mortality attributed to birth injury and atelectasis in the 10 years 1958–67 have been investigated for each county borough of England and Wales. It became evident that diagnostic difficulties in separating these two causes must have been such that for statistical purposes they should be combined in a single rate.

Variables likely to affect the local rates such as the sex ratio of births, and rates of illegitimacy and immaturity as an ill-defined cause of death appeared to affect the mortality levels in certain towns but not sufficiently to account for the wide variations apparent in those levels. It is concluded that local surveys are necessary in the towns with highest rates to uncover differences in numbers of births in hospital, in obstetric techniques and in quality of medical care.