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67
Non-viable foetus, aged 24 hours.
Non-viable foetus, multiple pregnancy, aged 1 minute.
Spina bifida; hydrocephalus, aged 5 days.
*Died after discharge from the Maternity Home.
The mothers of three of these infants had not been booked for admission
to the Home, but were admitted as emergency cases for various reasons.
The neo-natal death-rate of babies born in the Ward Blocks for the
five years 1942 to 1946, was 2.01 per cent. compared with 1.85 per cent. in
the district in general. The death-rate of babies who died before 14 days,
born in the Ward Blocks for the five years 1942-1946 was 1.91 per cent.
The infant mortality rate of children born in the Ward Blocks of the
Maternity Home for the five years 1942-1946 was 27.3 per 1,000 births, as
compared with 31.4 born in their own homes. The figure of 31.4 has been
arrived at after deduction of all deaths of infants born in the Maternity
Home, and is calculated on the total births in the district, excluding those
in the Maternity Home.
The causes of the 27 stillbirths in the Ward Blocks were as follows:—
Anencephalio spina bifida 1
Anencephalus 1
Cord around neek 2
Difficult breeoh delivery 1
Extended breech; premature inspiration 1
Hydrocephalus 1
Hydrops foetalis 1
Lower abdomen and genitals maldeveloped 1
Macerated foetus—cause unknown 2
Placenta eroded; retroplacental clots 1
Premature labour: intra partum haemorrhage 1
Prematurity; ante partum haemorrhage 1
Prolapsed cord, breech presentation 1
Prolapse of cord 1
Toxaemia 1
Toxaemia; prematurity 2
Unknown 7
W. R. positive 1
The mothers of five of these infants were admitted as emergency cases.
Thirty-five patients were notified as suffering from puerperal pyrexia,
thirteen being removed to the Isolation Hospital.
The causes of the pyrexia were abdominal wound infection (1), constipation
(1), dermatitis and pericarditis (1), engorged breasts and herpes labialis
(1), engorgement of breasts (3), furunculosis and sinusitis (1), local infection
of operation scar (1), mammary abecess (1), mastitis (1), nephritis (1), postoperative
reaction (Caesarian Section) (1), constipation (1), puerperal
varicella (1), pulmonary embolism (2), pyelitis (3), reaction following
manual removal of retained placenta (1), retained products (1), retention of
urine (1), sapraemia (2), sapraemia and mastitis (1), sapraemia and tonsillitis
(1), staphylococcal urinary infection and subinvolution (1), subinvolution (1),
superficial infection of Caesarean Section incision and pulmonary infarction
(1), threatened mastitis (1), toxaemia, albuminuria and general debility (1),
transient pyrexia of unknown origin (2), upper respiratory tract infection (1).
In addition, four infants, three of whom were removed to the Isolation
Hospital, were notified as suffering from Ophthalmia Neonatorum. All of
the cases were due to a staphylococcal conjunctivitis and the condition of the
eyes satisfactorily cleared.
One infant was removed to the Isolation Hospital notified as suffering
from Pemphigus Neonatorum. The condition was due to a staphylococcal
dermatitis of the fingers.
In addition thirty-one other patients were removed to the Isolation
Hospital for the following reasbns:—acute coryza (1), acute ulcerative
colitis (1), B. Coli bacilluria (1), blister on finger of infant (1), bronchitis