asked the Minister for Health if he has any observations to make on the fact that in 1968 the maternal mortality rate in the Republic per 1,000 live births was 0.36, in England and Wales 0.20, and in Scotland 0.15.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Maternal Mortality Rate.
18.
It would not be possible to assess all of the factors involved in maternal mortality rates. For example, chance fluctuations in the relatively small number of deaths could have a misleading effect when comparing death rates from one year to another or between different areas. There is also the fact, to which attention is drawn in a World Health Organisation report, that differences in methods of diagnosis and of collecting statistics interfere with international comparisons.
Two factors associated with childbirth, which are probably relevant to the differences between maternal mortality rates for Ireland and those for England and Wales and Scotland, relate to the age of the mother at maternity and the number of previous children in the family. The statistics for 1968 show that the percentage of total births to mothers aged 30 years and over was 47.3 in this country, 24.4 for England and Wales and 26.2 for Scotland. The percentage of births to mothers who had five or more previous children was 16.9 here, 3.2 in England and Wales and 4.3 in Scotland. The average age of Irish marriages is decreasing and will affect the position.
I should add that the Irish maternal mortality rate has shown a significant decline in recent years. A World Health Organisation press release of 13th March, 1970, shows that the Irish rate fell by 79.9 per cent between 1951-53 and 1966, the third highest rate of decline out of 36 named countries. Of the 36 countires listed in the press release, the maternal mortality rates for 1966 in the case of only eight countries were shown as being lower than those for this country.
The extent of the fall could be indicated by the fact that in 1922 the figure was 22 per thousand live births.
I have not got the 1922 figure. The main point is that there is a steady decrease.