Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-07-19 | Page 6 | Daily Health Service

I Daily Health Service Editors Editor's note This is the first o ot of four tour articles by Dr Fishbein on Maternal Maternal Ma Ma- Vernal Mortality The second will appear appear ap ap- ap pear in tomorrows tomorrow's Telegram By DR MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Medical Association and of Uy Hygeia el the Health Magazine The maternal mortality rate is the Ule death rate among women due either directly or indirectly to the bearing of children A recent report by a distinguished committee under the chairmanship of Dame Janet Campbell Camp bell and including representatives o of F er- er ma many maa a as w well ii- ii as s' s of the he health 1 division divi- divi divi- divi sion slon of the League of Nations has just pointed out that the variations in these rates rate in different countries are not to be considered of grea great significance since ince It is doubtful whether the statistics published are prepared in such a way as to enable accurate comparisons to be made between between be c tween th the figures given for different differ dilfer- ent countries In most countries the death rate of mothers at childbirth appear to tobe tobe tobe be relatively stationary and has been for some time Deaths of mothers under these circumstances are classified into three groups those due to infection which arises in the birth organs those due due- to complications such as difficult births bleeding or or severe intoxication by poisons and those due to associated diseases such as tuberculosis heart disease influenza scarlet fever lever and measles Of Ot course there are arc arc in ln in addition to the actual deaths caused by chIldbirth childbirth childbirth child child- birth a considerable number of ot eases caSeS cases of illnesses more snore or less permanent resulting from the difficulties es attending attending attending at at- tending th the process Much of this goes unnoticed or unrecognized at the time because complications are so frequent that many women r regard gard weakness or pain after alter childbirth as inevitable and arid do not trouble to seek eek medical advice The committee is convinced that much of af this could be prevented prevent d by skilled care care before and md during childbirth and by adequate examInation examination examination exam exam- and treatment afterward Such attention would unquestionably ably prevent a great deal of ot unnecessary unnecessary essary physical disability and suffering suffer ing among women If It a a woman is already suffering from rom some serious disease and finds that she is to have a child chUd she must be treated primarily for the disease and the fact that that- she is to have a child chUd in incidental Whether or not she is to proceed or how she is to proceed depends