New Britain herald., 1926-11-09
DEATH RATE FROM
 CHILDBIRTH GROWS
Mortality in Connecticut Up to
 Six per 1000
BY GEORGE B. MANNING


 Washington, D. C.. Nov, 9. While Connecticut is steadily reduc- ing the number of babies who die before they are one year old, the proportion of mothers who die in childbirth is now higher than it was in 1900. -...
 For every 1000 babies born alive in Connecticut, the lives of nearly six mothers are sacrificed. This rate, however, is somewhat lower han for the United States as whole, as nearly seven mothes die for every 1000 babies born in the country.
 Connecticut has reduced it's in- fant mortality rate from 107 for every 1000 live births in 1915 and 1918 to e9 in 1924 and "A in 1925. But in 1915, 5.6 Connecticut moth CTS died in childbirth for every 1000 babies born alive, while in 1924, the last year for which the United States Children's Bureau has com plete statistics, 5.7 mothers died for every 1000 live births. In 1900, the maternal mortality In Connecticut was only 5.2 to every 1000 live births.
 Connecticut'e maternal mortality rate increased from 1920, with few fluctuations up and down, until Io In that year 7.5 mothers died for every 1000 babies born alive. The lowest rate was in 1901, when only 4.9 mothers died In childbirth for every 1000 children born alive. The second highest rate was in 1920 when 6.S mothers died in child birth for every 1000 live births.
 From 1921 through 1924, the rate of deaths of Connecticut mothers In childbirth each year was: 1921, 5.3 deaths per 1000 live births; 1922, 5.7 deaths per 1000 live births; 1923, 5.7 deaths per 1000 live births: 1924, 5.7 deaths per 1000 live births. -....
 Yet these deaths are almost 100 per cent preventable by careful asepsis and surgical cleanliness, and by competent medical care before childbirth. according to Dr. Robert Morse Woodbury. who has pre- pared report on maternal mortal ity and morbidity for the United States Children's Bureau.
 The birth of the first child. the birth of the eighth and those there after, and the birth of more than one child at a time are the most dangerous. The birth of the third is the least dangerous of all.
 The rate for foreign-born white mothers is slightly lower than that for native born American women. Russian mothers show the lowest death rate in child birth Of all the nationalities living in the United States. and Italian mothers come next. But Irish, English. Canadian, Hungarian. and German mothers show q high maternal mortality.
 The poorer the father. the more
 
 birth, the study made by Dr. Woodbury indicates. Poverty pre- vents the provision of adequate pre- natal and maternity care.
 Extremely young and extremely old mothers also have slighter chance than women of medium age to bear children and survive. Moth ers under 15 and mothers over 45 have a high maternal death rate.
 The safest age for child bearing is between 20 and A.
 The preventive program sug- gested by the Children's Bureau to reduce maternal morbidity is:
 l. Regulation of the practice of obstetrics. by requiring license to practice from both physicians and midwives. by establishing minimum requirements for obtaining such q license, and by defining and pre- scribing penalties for malpractice.
 2. Regulation of public and private hospitals and maternity homes through local provisions gov erning the establishment of such in stitutions and requiring that they be licensed and subject to inspection.
 3. Legislation for the control of venercal diseases including the mak- ing of these diseases reportable.
 4. Requiring that puerperal sep iicemia be made reportable, as is now the case in a number of States.
 5. Provision through Govern mental or public sources Of better facilities for training medical and nursing personnel and more ade- quate clinics, hospitals and matern- ity homes.
 6. Subsidies in aid of State or local activities by Federal or State governments. as in the United States during the past four years through the Maternity and Infancy Act.
 [. Educational work directed to- ward informing mothers of the need of adequate maternity care.