MATERNAL DEATH RATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 May 1936, Page 5

MATERNAL DEATH RATE

SECOND LOWEST RECORDED. “Every year in New Zealand over one hundred women lose their lives through some cause connected with pregnancy or childbirth,” states the Government Statistician in the “Abstract of Statistics,” published this week. “Comparatively, as a cause of death, this figure is not high, but relative to the natural physiological process of which it is the outcome it is sufficient to cause concern. . During the last quinquennium the number of such deaths has displayed a slight but definite falling ’ tendency and the. mortality-rate has not exceeded 5 per 1000 live births during the period. A definite drop in the rate for 1935 is a welcome sign, and represents, in fact, the second-lowest rate recorded during the last ten years, as may be observed from the following figures giving the deathrate per 1000 live births: —1926, 4.25; 1927, 4.91; 1928, 4.93; 1929, 4.82; 1930, 5.08; 1931, 4.77; 1932, 4.06; 1933, 4.44; 1934, 4.85; 1935, 4.21. “In studying these figures in the light of human economy, an erroneous impression as to the magnitude of the cost of motherhood is sometimes conveyed by the indiscriminate use of the term ‘maternal mortality.’ “Among the deaths due to puerperal causes each year are included a considerable number resulting from conditions which should not be considered a normal hazard of the puerperal state. While it is impossible to differentiate these definitely, there can be no doubt that the great majority of septic abortion cases shoiild be classed under this heading. A truer index of ‘maternal mortality’ than is afforded by the figure of puerperal mortality can thus be arrived at by deducting from the latter all cases of abortion where septic conditions are reported. On this basis the 1935 ‘maternal mortality’ rate shows a slight increase over the previous year, but nevertheless maintains the relatively satisfactory low level during the last quinquennium. A comparative statement is given of the death-rate from septic abortion and other puerperal sepsis in certain countries for the year 1934 is given. “Of the eleven countries shown,” states the Statistician, “New Zealand in 1934 had the third-lowest ‘true mai ternal mortality’ rate, but occupied a position about half-way in the list for all puerperal causes, and ranked third highest as regards the deathrate from puerperal septicaemia. On analysing these deaths into septic abortion and other puerperal sepsis, however, it is found that New Zealand has the highest death-rate for the former and the second lowest for the latter. It is also significant that of the eleven countries shown New Zealand and Australia are the only ones in which the rate for septic abortion is higher than that for other puerperal sepsis. The figures give some idea of the extent to which the official statistics of deaths from puerperal causes are inflated by the inclusion, of cases which do not represent, true maternal deaths.”