Studies in Childbirth Mortality: II. Age and Parity as Factors in Puerperal Fatality

Abstract

The puerperal fatality rate was high for mothers who were delivered of their first child (28.2 per 10,000 deliveries), was lowest for mothers of 3d births (18.5), and highest for mothers who were delivered of their 8th and 9th child (63.4). The late fetal and neonatal mortality rate was also relatively high for 1st births (59.8 per 1,000 total births), was at a minimum for 2d births (44.9), and thereafter increased with order of birth to a maximum (96.9) for births of highest order. The rate for combined infant loss was relatively high for infants of the youngest mothers; it was lowest for infants of mothers in their twenties and increased thereafter with the age of the mother. Puerperal fatality was at a minimum for the youngest mothers and increased sharply with increasing age of mother. Both rates were independently related to the 2 factors of order of birth and age of mother. The puerperal fatality rate, as well as the rate for infant loss was related to age of father. The rates were relatively high when the father was young; they were lowest when the father was aged 25-34, and high again when the father was older.