A GRAVE CHARGE
A grave charge has been made regarding the maternity mortality rate of the Dominion. The Chief of the Children's Bureau of tho United States reports that the New Zealand rate of deaths of mothers in childbed is 6 per 1000. .As tho Minister, fov Public Health (Mr. Parr) is calling for a full report on this subject from the chief officers of his Departmentj but little can be conclusively said upon it in the meantime. However, the rate per 1000 of such deaths increased from 3.62 in 1913 to 6.05 in 1917, falling to 5.12 "in 1919. The 6 per 1000 quoted by the American authority will probably be approximately correct. It is manifestly much too high. Accidents will never be wholly avoidable; but it is questionable whether "cases of septicaemia—which far exceed all other causes of deaths from puerperal accidents and diseases—are no& much too frequent. How many cases of blood-poisoning are attributable to neglect or incompetence? Mr. Parr will do well to have the whole matter of the deaths of mothers in childbed thoroughly investigated. In so doing, he may do much to remove the impression that far too many of such deaths are due to want of sufficient care, especially where septi-cst-mia is the cause.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 111, 11 May 1921, Page 4
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211A GRAVE CHARGE Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 111, 11 May 1921, Page 4
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