Show I Waste Vaste of Mothers' Mothers Lives and I Health Altogether Unnecessary I i Prepared by Children Children's Bureau U. U S. S Dep Department of Labor I More Moro women fifteen to forty-five forty years rears of age die from conditions con I connected connected con con- netted with childbirth th than n from any disease except tuberculosis Some 1 15 mothers' mothers lives arc are sacrificed yearly to Ignorance and improper care In connection with Baby Week the Children's Childrens Childrens Children's Chil Chil- drens dren's bureau calls catIs special attention to these facts for three reasons 1 The life and health of the mother are essential to the health and well well- being of her children i 2 The majority of these mothers' mothers lives could be saved 3 The number of deaths among mothers Is merely a rough of unmeasured preY preventable Illness Illness' and suffering buffering Just how adequate care for mothers is to be assured depends of ot course on local conditions but Dr Grace L. L Meigs of the federal Childrens Children's bureau bureau bureau bu bu- bu- bu I reau whose special report on Mar MaE Ma Ma- I 1 E I. I i I f J. J z r J Yv Baby's Bottles Ready to Be Put Away on Ice Mortality was published recently recently recently re re- re- re believes that the first essential essential essential essen essen- everywhere Is a better understanding understand understand- ing of what mothers need Few women seem to realize for example example example ex ex- ample that a mother needs special care before the baby comes And yet the principles of personal hygiene which have been worked out by modern modern modern mod mod- ern science are of the utmost Importance Importance Import Import- ance complications for tor forthe the tile mother and Illness or weakness for her baby buby Further the expectant mother should be under the supervision supervision super super- vision Slon of a physician and she should have certain periodic examinations by which any symptoms of complications may be discovered and treated while they are still controllable And the mother needs skilled attendance attendance attendance at at- when her baby Is born Doctor Doctor Doctor Doc Doc- tor Meigs emphasizes the fact that a difficult maternity case Is one of ot the gravest surgical emergencies and re re- re- re quires special skill and training Man Many people do not seem to io understand understand understand under under- stand that In any cn case e complications complication may arise which can lie he met safely by prompt and skillful scientific care core but which at the hands of ot an unskilled attendant attendant at at- will cost tho the life lite of mother ot of child or both Doctor Meigs admits the difficulties of at making accessible to every mother In to the United States these there of maternity care but she When women and their husbands are convinced of the need of such car care and when women demand It physicIans clans will furnish It medical colleges will provide better training for physicians clans nn communities rural and urban urban urban ur ur- ur- ur ban will see see to It that mothers are properly protected The difficulties are perhaps greatest In rural districts The Tho Childrens Children's bu bureau rents reau has had letters from mothers who are 15 25 30 SO and even 65 miles mites from froma froIla a physician and for whom any trained nursing has been utterly Impossible Other countries have teen peen at work on this same problem notably New Zealand Zealand Zea Zen land and Canada From their experience experience experience ence and from the experience of those American cities In which special maternity maternity ma ma- work Is being developed eloped Doctor Doctor Doctor Doc Doc- tor Meigs has lIas drawn up the following suggestions for a unit of service to meet the needs of mothers In rural districts The unit would provide a center for fora a rural nursing service with visiting nurses especially trained to reco dangerous symptoms In expectant mothers At su such h a a center mothers would be able to obtaIn obtain information a as asto asto to the proper care of ot themselves and of their babies If a suitable general hospital Is too remote for use the county center should Include a cottage cottage cot cot- cottage tage hospital for difficult maternity cases and for the care of normal I cases when It Is convenient for the tho mother to leave her ber home for confinement confine confine- ment In general skilled skill d attendance should be obtainable by every woman in the county Little has been done as yet to show shoy women thaT much of the waste of ot mothers' mothers lives and health Is sary Even less has been undertaken by communities to provide protection for motherhood Many communities which have studied their typhoid and tuberculosis death rates and ond have undertaken undertaken undertaken un un- un- un costly measures to reduce them have been heedless of tho the death rates among mothers It Is not nol strange therefore that since 1900 1000 the typhoid rate for the time country as a whole has bas been cut In half and the rate from tuberculosis has been markedly markedly markedly mark mark- edly reduced while the death rate from maternal causes has shown no demonstrable decrease But maternal deaths are largely preventable and Baby Week should mark the be beginning inning of definite work for their prevention Doctor MeIgs' MeIgs report on Maternal Mortality may be had free upon request request request re re- re- re quest from the Childrens Children's bureau Washington D. D C. C |