H.—3l.

MATERNAL MORTALITY. Table I. —Table of Vital Statistics as published by the British Ministry of Health (New Zealand Figures added).

Number of training-schools for midwives:— Country. Number. England and Wales .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 194 Netherlands .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Denmark . . .. .. .. .. .. . . . . 1 Sweden . . .. . . .. .. .. .. ~ 2 New Zealand.. . . .. .. .. .. . . . . 4 Number of training-schools for maternity nurses : — New Zealand.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 It may be confidently anticipated that a continuance of the efforts to promote maternal welfare, brief particulars of which were given in my last annual report, will still further reduce the maternal mortality rate. Even at the present time, were it not for the high death-rate from septic abortions— which, as I have previously pointed out, are due to social and economic causes—the rate would be as low, or lower, than the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden. The statements frequently made that the accurate method of gathering information for statistics regarding maternal mortality in New Zealand gives a death-rate which is higher than would be shown if the figures were compiled in the same way as Sweden, Denmark, and probably the Netherlands, is justified by facts produced and opinions expressed in the above-mentioned British Ministry of Heath's valuable report.

DETAILED STATISTICAL RETURNS FOR NEW ZEALAND. Table II.—Showing the Number of Deaths from all Puerperal Causes, 1927-32.

This table gives in actual numbers the deaths from puerperal causes of which the rates per 1,000 live births are shown in graph form on the following Table Hα (page 39).

38

New Zealand (Europeans only). England Netner ,£ n , d lands Denmark. Sweden. ah Maternal Wales - Maternal Deaths, exDeaths, eluding Septic Abortion. Officially recorded maternal- f 1920 4-33 2-4 2-8 2-6 6-48 4-41(1927) death rate per 1,000 live \ 1930 4-40 3-3 3-8 3-0 5-08 3-96 births .. .. .. .. 4-06 3-02 Year 1930— Population .. .. .. 39,806,000 7,952,634 3,542,000 '6,130,826 1,425,084 Population per square mile .. 685 627 237 35 13-75 Live births .. .. .. 648,811 182,310 : 66,303 94,200 26,797 Birth-rate .. .. .. 16-26 22-92 18-71 15-36 18-80 General death-rate .. .. 11-4 9-0 10-8 11-70 8-56 Infant mortality per 1,000 births 60 51 79 53 34-48 Percentage of total deaths due 7-8 8-2 6-5 10-6 4-33 to tuberculosis

I 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. 1931. 1932. Puerperal sepsis following childbirth .. .. 56 42 30 27 18 13 Hemorrhages, accidents of labour, thrombosis, phlegmasia, 40 29 34 33 29 28 embolism, and following childbirth not otherwise defined Toxaemia, albuminuria, and eclampsia .. 26 38 34 33 35 22 Puerperal sepsis following abortion or miscarriage .. 14 14 19 30 29 26 Accidents of pregnancy (mainly non-septic abortions) .. 7 11 12 13 16 12 Total .. .. .. .. .. 137 134 129 136 127 101 Total maternal deaths, excluding septic abortion.. 123 120 110 106 98 75