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OBSTETRIC AND PUERPERAL FEVER CONSULTANTS.
The names of the gentlemen who have agreed to act in this
capacity will be found on page 108.
The number of consultations during the year was as follows:—
Obstetric Consultations Nil
Puerperal Fever Consultations 1
INFANT LIFE PROTECTION.
The number of foster-mothers and children in this borough is
happily very small, and no difficulty has been experienced in dealing
with these cases during the year. There were 16 foster
mothers with 17 children and 104 visits were paid by the visitor.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
In last year's annual report I had the unusual pleasure of
being able to state that no maternal deaths had occurred during
the year. The bald fact only was stated, because it was realised
that it was entirely exceptional, and could not be ascribed to the
activities of the Maternity and Child Welfare department, valuable
as these are. This year, I am, with regret, compelled to record
nine maternal deaths. A careful investigation has been made
by myself into each of these cases. Three of the deaths were
due to morbid conditions associated with pregnancy which could
probably neither have been foreseen nor prevented by any known
means, indeed in one of these cases the pregnancy was apparently
not even suspected by the patient herself until the onset of the
sudden haemorrhage from which she died. In another case
death was certified as being caused by terror following a street
accident, and does not appear to have had any direct connection
with the pregnancy. In two cases the fatal termination was
undoubtedly due in part to the refusal of the patient to carry out
instructions. In two instances it is possible that better obstetric
care, in one case in the home, and in the other case in hospital,
might have prevented death. One death was caused by septicæmia
following a criminal abortion induced by the patient herself.
The maternal mortality rate for the year is 5·66 per thousand
total (live and still) births.