MOTHERS AND BABIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20480, 4 February 1930, Page 14

MOTHERS AND BABIES.

MATERNAL WELFARE WORK.

PROGRESS IN AUSTRALIA. SIR TRUBY KING IN SYDNEY. (from our own correspondenx.l SYDNEY, Jan. 23. No man is assured of a greater welcome to New South Wales than Sir Truby King, whose splendid work for child welfaro is as much recognised hero as in New Zealand. There was quito a. flutter among thoso interested in the growth of the Plunket system when it was learned not long ago that Sir Truby would be in Sydney again so soon, and there was a general brushing, up of the baby centres in preparation for his arrival last Tuesday. If growth is synonymous with life, then the future looks rosy for the Plunket system in New South Wales.

Mothers aro attending tho centres in increasing numbers, and tho whole work is falling more easily and naturally into the subdivisions used in the big centres in Now Zealand. One can imagine the satisfied look on the face of Sir Truby King when ho inspoctcd tho latest Australian Molhercraft Centre in Sydney. Tho organising and planning of this centre was tho work of Miss Vida McLean, for several years matron of tho Karitane Homo in Auckland, which means that it was well dono. Miss McLean never loses an opportunity to speak of tho work that is dono in tho Dominion, and tho success • tlioro is an inspiration to the baby health workers of Sydney. The bright side of the report drawn up for tho Federal Government by Damo Janet Campbell, world-famed authority on maternal and child welfare, is her comment on tho steady reduction of the infant death rato from 96 per 1000 in tho beginning of tho century to 52 last year. "It is an achievement to bo proud of," sho says. New South Wales is anxious to reduco tho death rato even more, and tho Plunket system is going to help materially in that diroction. When the death rato sinks below that of New Zealand —which is the aim —then Now South Wales can bo depended upon to boast, but at the same timo it wil\ always give full credit to New Zealand for introducing a splendid system, and to Dr. Truby King in particular. However, tho outstanding featuro of Dame Janet Campbell's report is tho statement that maternal welfaro in Australia is deplorably deficient. The high maternal mortality is contrasted with a steadily declining infantile mortality. She says that thf mortality rato in Australia is higher than in England and Wales, and in England it is much higher than it should bo. Then, for every woman who dies as tho result of childbirth, many others aro injured moro or less seriously, and some of them permanently. The resulting loss in health and strength is even moro serious than tho actual mortality. Tho principal suggestions made by Dame Janet Campbell aro that pioneering work should bo unhampered by restraining influences ; that there should bo freedom to experiment in any direction which offered any hope of success; that there was need for greater unity and increased cooperation between individuals and organisations; that although the midwifery nurse would undertake tho actual handling of the. infant, the doctor should assume the actual responsibility. It is- also -suggested by tho same authority that medical schools should offer post graduate opportunities for practical experience in obstetrics in its relation to public health; that there should be a high standard in practical and theoretical teaching in all states of pupil midwives; that, all training institutions should be under expert supervision and that steps should be taken to secure for the qualified midwife a high professional status and adequate remuneration so as to attract to the practice of midwifery thoroughly well trained nurses.