MATERNAL DEATHS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 124, 30 May 1927, Page 10

MATERNAL DEATHS

GRATIFYING REPORT

REDUCED RATE

NEW ZEALAND'S IMPROVED

POSITION

In the year 1920 the maternal deathrate in the Dominion reached the high figure of 6.48 per thousand live births. Wide attention was drawn to the position by the then Minister of Health, culminating in an investigation and the taking of special measures by the Department of Health with the view of bringing about an improvement in this one section of New Zealand's vital statistics which did not compare favourably with those of some other countries. This year the maternal mortality rate is 4.25 per thousand living births. Each of the last six years represented a distinct improvement over the abnormally high rate of 1920. The death rate for the past seven years was as follows:—1920, 6 48 • 1921 5.08,; 1922, 5.14; 1923, 5.11; 1924 5 • 1925, 4.65; 1926, 4.25: ' . ' The explanation of the high rate in 1920 appears to be that in that year the proportion of first births was abnormally high, viz., 1 in every 3, as compared with lin every 4in 1919. It may be. noted hvsre, however, that in 1921 when the rate of maternal mortality was only 5.08, per thousand births the proportion of first births was again high, so that probably some other factor was partly responsible. The number of cases of puerperal, septicaemia was particularly high in 1920, viz 67 as compared with only 48 in 1921. ' New Zealand is now seventh in the list of the following 21 countries:— _-DEATHS FROM PUERPERAL CAUSES IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES.

Country. ■-, Period. Oenmark 1919-23 Netherlands ..... 1919-23 E taly 1919-23 Uruguay 1919-23 rapan 1920-24 England and Wales 1920-24 New Zealand .... 1922-26 Australia 1920-24 trish Free State . 1920-24 Jermany .... 1919-23 ramaica ......... 1920-24 Northern Ireland 1920-24 *P»in ••••'•■ 1918-22 Switzerland ..... 1918-22 panada :. 1921-24 Belgium 1919-23 Scotland .■.. 1920-24 [Jnited States ... 1919-23 h?l? • 1919-23 Bntish Guiana . 1922-24 3eylon . .... 1920-24 Puerperal Causes. 2.06 2.58 2.75 2.88 3.39 3.95 4.83 4.96 5.03 5.04 5.17 5.25 5.34 5.42 5.53 5.C8 6.27 7.08 8.24 14.33 19.92