MORTALITY OF WOMEN IN CHILD BIRTH

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 234, 28 June 1921, Page 6

MORTALITY OF WOMEN IN CHILD BIRTH

MEDICAL BOARD TO INQUIRE

By Telegraph- Press Association. Christchurch, June 27. There has been a great deal of <llsc'lB- - lately on figures published by toe Children’s Bureau of the United btetes Department of Labour, which place New Zealand almost at the bottom of the Is. of nations in respect to the mortality women in childbirth. The Bon. G J. Parr (Minister of Public Health) asked Dr Valintine (Director-General of Health) for a report on the subject. Dr Valintine now says that he «> officially advised that the figures givrn for New Zealand are correct, but he unable to say whether the New Zmland’s figures are strictly comparable with those of other countries Comparisons based on a single year s figures are u Satisfactory. The Now Zealand rate for Wl7 was higher than for any year since 1894 Dr. Valintine goes on to say: "We must await further mformateon before we can condemn cither the Department or the medical At the same time I may say that the de partmental officers not being in P™c tlce > Janiiot be blamed for the mortality. I have good reason for believing that the exigencies of busy practice lead to much hurried midwifery, which must be disastrous to both mother and cffiild. 1 ha '® also reason to believe that much of the septic disease associated with maternity is not frankly reported to the Department in the early stages, thus handicapping departmental officers from prevqnttog the spi-ead of Hie disease Atociated with maternity. Tliese facts m. be brought before the Medical Board and no doubt, drastic steps will lie taken if considered necessary to counteract, tins apparent negligence.