Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1946, Blaðsíða 240

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12. Maternity (cf. tables XII—XIV). The total number of births
in 1946 was 3434 born alive and 70 stillborn, or 20%o of the total
number.
Deaths in connection with childbirth during the preceding years
have been as follows:
1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946
Accidents of Childbirth ....6 3 3 410 8 7 8 7 6
Puerperal Sepsis ............ 3 3 2 1 3 3 3 1 1 1
Total Number of Deaths .... 9 6 5 5 13 11 10 9 8 7
The maternity death rate 1946 is 2,0 per 1000 children born.
The distribution of accidents of childbirth is shown on pages 11—12.
13. Artificial Abortion (cf. table XII).
During the year 38 artificial abortions took place under the Birth
Control Act, which carne into operation in 1935 (in the preceding year
there had been 45). In 10 out of these 38 cases social as well as health
indications had been taken into consideration.
14. Accidents. The figure of deaths by accidents (0,9 per 1000 of the
whole population) was still a lot higher than the average number
before the war.
1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946
Deaths hy Suicide ....... 9 15 12 12 8 13 12 7 12 18
— — other Violence .. 51 75 55 93 195 117 127 124 87 94
The distribution of deaths by accidents is shown on pages 12—-13.
15. Care of Infants may be said to be fairly good, the great majority
of the children being breast-fed. The ntidwives have made out a report
(table XIII) concerning 3440 infants born during the year (the total
number of births being 3504, stillbirths included). In 3323 cases the
nutrition of the infants after birth is reported as follows (Reykjavik
figures in brackets):
Breast-fed .................... 92,6 % (99,3 %)
Breast- and bottle-fed .... 4,3 — ( 0,4 —)
Bottle-fed only ................ 3,1 — ( 0,3 —)
16. Sanitanj Officials and Workers (cf. table I). The total number
of trained medical men in Iceland was 162 in 1946. There are 51 medi-
cal districts, but there is a difficulty in filling some of the smallest
and remotest. The number of midwioes holding appointments is 158,
whíle the number of districts is about 200. Trained nnrses do little
service outside hospitals. Dentists are very few. Trained dispensing
chemists are only in the larger towrns, in villages and in the country
the district medical officers have a smatl drug store.
17. Generat Insurance. The National Insurance Act from 1936
(amended several times) covers besides diseases: accident, disable-