Exploring the maternity archive of the St Helens Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand 1907-1922: an historian and a midwifer collaborate

Abstract

An analysis of the maternity archive of the first publicly funded maternity hospital in New Zealand which opened at the turn of the 20th century. This was a midwifery led hospital with one consultant medical practitioner. The hospital was renowned for its high standards of cleanliness. The analysis critiques the understanding that most maternal deaths at the time were due to puerpural sepsis. At this hospital puerpural sepsis was a rare event and maternal deaths were due to a range of other causes.