LESS THAN 100

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 435, 17 May 1937, Page 3

LESS THAN 100

MATERNITY DEATHS Falling Tend'ency For many years prior to 1936, more than one hundred women in New Zealand each year lost their lives through some cause connected with pregnancy or childbirth. In the past ten years, however, according to figures published in the monthly abstract of statistics for .April there has been a slight but definite falling tendency in the number of deaths from these causes, and in 1936 the figure fell to 92. “Comparatively, as a cause of death, this figure'is not high, hut relative to the natural physiological process of which it is the outcome, it is sufficient to cause concern,” states the report, ‘‘lt is significant that New Zealand and Australia are the only ones of eleven countries from which the rate for septic abortion is higher than that for other puerperal sepsis.” Proportionate Decrease. ■ “One factor operating towards' a downward trend in the annual recorded number of deaths from puerperal causes is, of course, the fairly rapid decline in the number ef confinements taking place,” states the report. “When the total of puerperal deaths, however, Is applied to the number of live births registered annually (the internationally accepted method of expressing the puerperal-mortality rate) it is found that there is, in recent years, a definite decrease in the relative incidence of deaths from this group of causes. Furthermore, it is gratifying to note that the rate for 1936 of 3.70 per 1000 live births is the third lowest rate ever recorded in New Zealand, the lowest figures being for 1912 and 1913, when the rates were 3.64 and 3 53 respectively.” “The problem of .septic abortion in

thi s country is a relatively acute one, and in 1934 the number of deaths from this cause the high figure of 42," the report continues. “Since then, however, the annual total has greatly declined, andi the figure of only 14 deaths recorded in 1936 is a considerable improvement. Scientific knowledge oan do little to reduce the death late from septic abortion still further, as the (causes thereof are bound up in a personal social problem. With regard to the remaining

causes of maternal mortality, however, it would appear that slight, but definite, progress is being maintained. “Of women dying.from septic aixir-

tion during the five years covered by the report, 99 were married and 32 single. The death-rate of married women from septic abortion re pre. sen ted; 0.85 per 1000 legitimate live births, and of single women 5.60 per 1000 illegitimate live births. Internationa! Table. .Of the 11 countries whose returns were shown. New Zealand in 1935 had the third lowest puerperal-mortality rate (excluding septic abortion) and occupied fourth position as regards the total puerperal-mortality rate. This was an improvement upon the previous year (1934), when New Zealand’s position for this latter figure was sixth in the international tablet This improvement reflected a substantial reduction in the number of deaths from septic abortion in 1935. In 1934 New Zealand had—among the 11 countries listed—the highest, death, rate from septic abortion, the third highest from total puerperal sepsis, but the third lowest from puerperal sepsis other than septic abortion. For 1935, however, the positions held by this country were: For septic abortion, second highest; for total puerperal -sepsis, third lowest; for puerperal sepsis other than septic abortion, lowest.