Evening star., 1954-01-19
Maternity Care
Code Weighed
Heads
Hearing Develops
Pleas to Modify
Stringent Terms
By John McKelwoy

The Commissioners will meet
this week over a set of regula.
tions for the supervision of ma.
ternity and newborn care in Dis
trict hospitals before taking any
immediate action on the contro-
versial proposal.
Portions of the new code,
handed the Commissioners yes.
terday after a public hearing.
were criticized by some private
physician and hospital officials.
Yet opponents Of the code, while
suggesting further revisions.
roundly backed the overall prin-
ciple of the move to further pro-
teet the mother and her infant
under hospital care. So far the
code has undergone five revi-
SionS.
Commissioner Samuel Spencer
said last night the three Com
missioners will study the code
and the suggested revisions be-
fore making any decision. The
Citizens Advisory Council has
approved the regulations, but
with certain notifications, he
said.
Exacting Language Protested.
Criticism of the code at yes
terday's hearing was mainly
aimed at the exacting require
ments hospital maternity wards
would have to meet. The code
reads, in one part. that bassinets
shall not be placed against any
wall or partition, or against each
other"
Administrators of some of the
city'S older hospitals said that
complying with this portion Of
the code would mean costly con-
struction. They pointed to a
marked drop in both maternal
and infant deaths recorded since
1910 without the code"
Health Department officials.
who drew up the code, empha-
sized that hospitals would be
given ope-year provisional per-
mits to provide maternity care
until they were able to meet
code requirements.
The new regulations are an
outgrowth of several serious epi-
denies of infant diarrhea in
hospital nurseries during the
1930s and 1940s.
Among those to appear be-
fore the commissioners yester-
day were:
DIR. Raymond T. Holden, rep
resenting Columbia Hospital for
Women: If the regulations are
adopted, they become rigid and
binding, thereby limiting hos
pitfalls and their staffs in progress
Slve changes.
Victor F. Ludwig, superintend-
ent of George Washington Hos
pital: George Washington could
meet the physical requirements,
but our main concern is the per-
sonnel requirements. We are in
accord with the intent and desire
of the code"
DIR. John Orem, superintendent
of Sibley Hospital: "Sibley is an
old hospital. 1t would be almost
impossible to meet the require
ments in the present building,
although we hope to be able to
move our facilities soon"
DIR. Edgar Bocock, Doctors
Hospital: This is a most admir-
able set of regulations. We could
meet the physical requirements,
although we are somewhat dis
turoed over personnel regula-
tionS."
DIR. Bernard Notes, National
Homeopathic: There is no def
mite need for such a law, al
though the regulations would be
alright without so many Details"
Mrs. Henry A. Bartlett, Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations:
we lndorSe the code. One of its
better features would be to fix
the responsibility in maternity
wards. 1t would aid in prevent
ing any temporary laxness in the
care of infants and maternity
patients"
Mrs. Arthur c. Wagner, South
east Council of Citizens: we
urge the approval of the regula-
tions. The call for only minimum
standards"
DIR. Roland B. Scott. Washing
ton Urban League: I'VE indorse
the regulations in a revised
FORM
Benjamin Striner, Federation
OF Citizens Associations: I'VE
lndorse the regulations as drawn
up by the Health Department"
DIR. Samuel Schwartz, Health
Department: Everything in
these provisions was put there to
correct a deficiency somewhere.
There are only one or two regu-
latlons which would impose un-
due hardships on the hospitals.
DIR. Ella Oppenhejmer, Bureau
of Maternal and ChildDWelfare:
There are still preventab,e
maternity deaths in this city.
We are concerned. These are not
police regulations.
MnL1. H-lL r..