SAFER MOTHERHOOD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22350, 22 February 1936, Page 33 (Supplement)

SAFER MOTHERHOOD

Hospital Research Laboratories, and one of the interesting things discovered was that of 1500 normal women examined, one in 50 at tho time of labour had certain germs in the birth canal, that, by all the ordinary bacteriological testa, appeared to be identical with those causing puerperal fever —and yet most of these women were quite free from this fever 1 Further research revealed, however, that these germs, though apparently identical with those causing puerperal sepsis, were not the cause of this disease; and that the germs responsible were often harboured in the nose and throat and conveyed to the mother through the medium of used handkerchiefs. This discovery lead to much experimentation with antiseptics, in the hope that one would be found which could be used in sufficient strength to kill the germ responsible for puerperal sepsis, without harm to the tissues of the patient, and which would remain actively aggressive for some hours after its application. It would act, in fact, as a barrier through which the germ could not, pass alive. Tortunately, the search was successful, and following this discovery, a steady decline has been shown in the number of cases of death from sepsis in Queen Charlotte's Hospital. Another" matter to which the investigating committee drew attention was the number of mothers with narrowed and ill-formed pelvic bones; tho malformation of which had been brought about by infantile rickets. This, it was pointed out, was to bo overcome by a dietary for female children in which fresh milk, eggs and fruit would be included. The effects of excessive slimming should surely, too, bo a matter of concern to those interested in this question; for undoubtedly to-dav the normal and broad female pelvisi is expected, under the screw of fashion, to be, rather than a cradle for tho unborn, a something that will slip through the eye of a needle.

SKELETON IN THE CUPBOARD BY ISOBEIi HARESNAPE PUERPERAL sepsis has for long been the family skeleton in the obstetrical cupboard. Thanks however to painstaking research, particularly of recent years, it looks as if this nasty apparition may before long be well and truly laid. The figures of the statisticians have ever been suggestive of human drama, and this is poignantly so when we reflect "on those dealing with maternal mortality. Fortunately there has, within recent times, been a steady decline in the deaths from puerperal sepsis in this country. This has resulted from a technique that, founded on the principles of asepsis (plus the judicious use of certain antiseptics), has been brought under tho notice of all our obstetrical hospitals, in an endeavour to standardise the methods of treatment —

A series of articles on subjects of such vital importance to human welfare as the prevention and cure of nasal catarrh, neuritis, asthma and similarly obstinate complaints will be commenced in this column next week, the author being the famous English writer, dietitian and medical authority, Sir William Arbuthnot Lane, President of the New Health Society. 1

and to make that standard of the highest. The progress resulting from this effort is vividly revealed in the chart to which our Government health authorities point with justifiable pride. During 1928, such was the feeling of uneasiness in England regarding maternal mortality, that a committee was set up, under the Ministry of Health, to deal not only with the question of thesci deaths, but with that equally depressing national tragedy, the morbidity so often resulting from what should be tho normal physiological act of childbirth.

Among other things which the committee set out to discover, if possible, were those underlying causes setting up the train of events that so often ended in disaster. This disclosed that more than one factor was often concerned. In many cases a definite defect, in a reasonable standard of maternal care was clearly tho starting-point ill the downward progress of the morbid condition. This defect was termed by the committee "The Primary Avoidable Factor;" and constructive suggestions were made toward its elimination. Dr. Leonard Colebrook, a member of this group of investigators, has since done further research at-Queen Charlotte's