MATERNAL MORTALITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20365, 20 September 1929, Page 19

MATERNAL MORTALITY.

Speaking at a reception given in her honour in Sydney recently, Damo Janet Campbell said that the infant death-rate in Engfand had decreased slightly, but they were still losing as many babies in the first days of life as thoy did seven yours ago. This was due to lack of antenatal care of tho mothers, and one of the most important problems was to make the mothers realise the importance of this supervision. Maternal mortality was not a problem for which any one solution could be found, but it must be solved by many-sided measures, for it was not only a medical and nursing problem, but one which affected the community in general. The force of public opinion could be of immense value in carrying out an educational campaign among tho mothers themselves They must learn tho value of ante-natal supervision. Another important factor in reducing tho maternal deathrate was a sufficiency of maternity beds in properly organisod and supervised hospitals for women who were not able to have their children in their own homes. Unless such hospitals were properly superintended and run, they could bo far more dangerous to the mother than an unsuitable home. \ Dame Janefc Campbell is visiting Australia at the invitation of the Federal Government to confor and work on behalf of maternal and infant welfare. ,