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Conclusions:
Age of Mother: Forty-three stillbirths occurred in the age
period 20—30 years, and thirty-eight in the period 30—40 years.
Age in itself has no direct influence on the number of stillbirths,
but it is linked up with other factors, e.g., parity and general
condition of the Mother.
Parity: This table is most useful in that it shows in a striking
way ithat by far the greatest number of Stillbirths (in above
series 37.2%) occur in Primiparae.
It is reasonable to suppose that maternal mortality,
neonatal and intranatal deaths are preventable to a far
greater extent than the figures in the Maternity and
Child Welfare report would seem to indicate. All these
death rates are closely related in cause, and therefore in prevention
: the first step in prevention lies in more antenatal supervision.
From information gleaned over a long period from many
reliable sources, I am strongly of opinion that amongst expectant
mothers the practice of taking noxious ecbolic drugs is very prevalent
and is increasing and that their health is thereby affected,
and often to a more severe degree the vitality of the infants. Many
of the deaths from prematurity and asthenia, especially those
occurring within a few days of birth, are, in my opinion, due
to intrauterine causes over which the conduct of the
mother has probably had some effect. The fate of
such infants is sealed before they are born. It might
be worth while investigating how far the taking of noxious
drugs during pregnancy contributes to the high rate of
maternal mortality by causing lack of resistance to infection during
labour from the effects of these necessarily debilitating drugs.
This statement is not made as a censure on the conduct of the
women concerned; it is meant to give food for thought as to
whether or not it is medical science or prevalent economic conditions
which should receive the research needed to find a way to
check what should be unnecessary deaths, and further, as to
whether the properly controlled teaching of contraception would
not tend to lessen the evil.
Dr. Dowling resigned her position as Assistant Medical Officer
for Maternity and Child Welfare in June, and this position
was filled by Dr. Helen Campbell, to whom I am indebted for
much of the work connected with the compilation of this section of
my report.
I have set out the activities of this section at some length,
as I feel that it is by concentrating every possible attention upon
this phase of preventive medicine that the best results will ensue.
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