Untitled

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1932, Page 11

INFANTILE DEATH RATE

GRATIFYING FIGURES

The progress made in. New Zealand in reducing infantile and maternal mortality was referred to with gratification" by tho Ministor of Health, the Hon. J. A. Young, at the annual meeting of the Wellington, branch of the Plunket Society last evening. Mr. Young said that New Zealand was proud to be able to say that during the first year of life the infantile mortalits' rate'per 1000 of live births was the lowest in the world. When the society was first formed the'rato was;Bß per 1000 of live bitths; last year, it Was 32.15, Those figures were proof of the society's valuable -work; The1 rate'per 1000 of babies who died -within the first month of life was- 22.69, leaving only 9.46 deaths per 1000 during the remainder of. the first year. That was a problem that awaited research. Por the year ended 31st December, 1930, the total infantile death rate per 1000 births was- 34.48, so that in only one year an improvement of 2.33 was shown. The latest figures concerning maternal mortality were also illuminating, Mr. Young continued.' There were two phases, one excluding septic abortion and the Other including it. The total number of mothers who died in 1931 per 1000 live births was 4.77, but this included 1.09 cases of septic abortion which made the real figure 3.68. Since 1017 the real figure had improved by .73. On the basis of approximately 27,000 births per annum, tho Dominion average, the improvement (or reduction) meant that over tho four-year period tho lives, of 23 raore mothers were, now saved each yeaT. This was .largely due to the maternal welfare work of the Health Departmont. Criticism was sometimes expressed of the Department's expenditure in that direction,-but as Minister of -Health, he felt they could not spend too much on it. It was cheaper and-more economical in a national sense to spend money on the prevention of disease than to spend it on the erection of hospitals.' Referring to the septic abortion rate, Mr. Young said he would not presume to say what the causes might be, but the position furnished food for deep thought, It was not fair to include in tie maternal mortality rate cases where there had been interference with the process of Nature. Mr. Young said that the work of the society was a great' and worthy one. He appealed to all'women with leisure time on their hands' to- assist in the splendid field of social * service which tho society afforded. The question of health was one for the wholo community. It was a humanitarian work in every sense of the word, and those who could help would "be fulfilling their duties of citizenship in the best possiblo way.

s. •■ ■ ■.•:;-. •; :•■ '. •■■■;••:• ■' senior b'.l University v.' Pprlrua'/Porirua No. 1, 2.45 p.m., Mr.:j. Bennett >, < ■ i Johnsonvllle v. Petone, Kilbirnie No. 1, 3 p.m., Mr: G. Voyce. i, . . Hutt v.Ohslow, Hutt Recreation' N. 1. 3 p.m., Mr. B. Matthews.' , Upper Hutt v. Marist, Wakefield No. 1,(3 P-m., Mr. J; A.'Wilson.' ' -