MOTHERS AND INFANTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16423, 6 May 1924, Page 5

MOTHERS AND INFANTS.

(MORTALITY FIGURES IN DOMINION.

HEALTH .MINISTER’S CRITICAL SURVEY,

NECESSITY FOR ACTION URGED.

(Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day

The maternity and! infaint death rates in Now Zenl’.amd as disclosed by the latest-figures in tho annual .report of the Department of Publics Health were discussed by -the Horn. Sir Maui Pomare, Miniateir in Charge of Hospitals and Public Health, in the course of an interview with your correspondent, when important suggestions .were made. “The facts disclosed in the report of tho Department are so impressive,” remarked the .Minister, “that it is considered that they sOiould.be plated before the public in ai general -statement, 'and not loft to ho lecoi'ded, and perhaps buried, in the Department’s annual report. “While (the vital statistics of New Zealand l generally compare moro than favorably with other countries, we do nut in (certain respects occupy a, particularly sound position, and indeed seem to be lagging behind. For some time past .it lias 'been known to our shame tlvait despite -many advantages, climatic, sobial and economic, the Dominion tabors under the stigma, of a comparatively high maternal: .mortality rate. In proportion to its population, mere women die ajs a result of childbirth In this country than in many other countries which have not the advantages we possess. The following table shows this position dearly : Maternal deaths Country and vear. per 1000 live births. Denmark, 1921 2 0 Netherlands, 1921 2.3 Sweden, 1917 2.5 Italy, 1917 ... ... ... 3.0 Norway, 1917 .... ... ... 3.0 Uruguay, 1920 3.4 Ja'pani, 1921 ... 3.6 England and Wales ... 3.9 Union of S. Africa, 1919 ... ... 3.9 Hungary, 1915 ... 4-0 Finland, 1918' .... 4.4 Australia, 1921 .... 4.7 Germanv. 1918 ... ... ' ••• 4.9 NEW ZEALAND, 1923 ... - 5.1 Spain, 1915 5.2 Ireland. 1920 5.5 Switzerland, 1915 5.5 France, 1914 ...■ ■••• ••• 5.7 Scotland, 1919 ••• 5.2 U.S. bii'tTi registotion &ren, 1923 6.8 Belgium, 1919 7 -2 Chile, 1920 ... 7 - 5 “Again,” continued the Minister, “while New Zealand is justly proud of its record that it possesses the lowest rate of infant mortality in the world, al dose inspection of the figures shows that there is still much to be done, and that- New Zealand is even far behind other countries in certain spheres, of infant welfare work. The reduction in the infant mortality rate in New Zealand has been wholly due to the saving of infant life after the age of. one month, an accomplishment due in no small measure to the excellent work inaugurated and directed by Dr. Truby King. The death-rate elf infants under one month in this country is still (for the year 1923), 29 per 1000 births, and has shown 'practically no .reduction since the Plunkett .Society commenced its work in 1907, when the rate was 30 per 1000. In a recent, report which the Health Department received from Dr. C. J. Bremkman, Chief of the Medical. Statistical Department of the Municipal Health Service of Amsterdam, it is shown that the denth-rate of infants under one year in that city is 50 1 per 1000 births as against 42 din the year 1922 in New Zealand. So far this is satisfactory, but when, iit is noted that the death-rate of infants under one month is as low as 13 per 1000 births in Amsterdam, ns against 27 per 1000 births in Now Zealand in 1922, and 29 per 1000 in 1923, if- causes one to pause. “Clo'sely allied, in its causes with the death-rate under one month is the mass of still-births which occur annually in New ■ Zealand. Stdlltbirths have been notifiable since 1915. The rate of still-births for the year 1923 was 32 per 1000 live births, a higher figure than any previously recorded.”

“A MOST UNFAVORABLE LIGHT.” “These groups of figures show New Zealand in oj most unfavorable light. It is obvious thalb the present methods are not effective, and do not provide tho scJlution of the problem. New measures must be devised. The problem is one which concerns primarily the general public, amd tiro medical and nursing professions, aind the remedy would appear to lie raither in their hands than with the Department of Health. It eari be reasonably expected that hotter treatment of the expectant mother, and higher skill on tho part of tire attendants at. the t ime of birth and immediately afterwards, would reduce those rates very materially. “The present tendency in New Zealand is for an ever-increasing number of confinements to take place in privato hospitals. At present, approximately one-third of all births take place' in these institutions. The “hospitalisation” of this class of patient is not unaccompanied by serious risk to tho mother unless the standard of equipment and tho efficiency of the institution, are of a high order. Unfortunately it must be admitted that in some cases privato 'hospitals do not attain this standard, for the reason that the capital cost involved is beyond the means of tho licensee. Ma'ny hospital hoards have established in connection with the public: hospitals, _ maternity wards or separate maternity institutions which are doing excellent work. The equipment and standard of of these institutions leave very little, to be desired. The Department will, as opportunity offers, continue to urge hospital boards to extend the facilities available in this way for the care and attention of maternity cases. The Department is also considering other means of dealing with the situation, but in Iho meantime the facts are such as to call for considerable searching of heart on the part of the public generally, arid on the part of tho medical and nursing professions more particularly. AN ALL-ROUND RESPONSIBILITY. “The Health Department,” concluded Sir Maui Pornare, “does not wish ip uriy way to evade its own responsibilities. It admits that asi regard? a fraction of the maternal deaths, viz., those due to puerperal sepsis, which represented approximately cue-third of the total maternal deaths in the year 1923, it must accept at least ai share of the responsibility ; the further saving of mothers, aind infants under one month, however, would appear to rest rather with the public and tho medical arid nursing professions. The Department will continue to endeavor to grapple with these problems hut to do so it will require the wholehearted eo-'Cncration of the public and these professions. Dr. Truiby King and the Plnnket Society will co-operate in this work.”