Maternal mortality in Trondheim between 1830 and 1907

Abstract

Maternal healthcare emerged as a significant concern in Norway during the 19th century, leading to the implementation of laws that aimed to establish a more centralized and professionalized midwifery service. In Trondheim, efforts were made to increase the education of midwives in response to these developments. However, it was not until 1908 that the city established its first dedicated maternity hospital. This thesis focuses on examining the rate of maternal mortality in Trondheim and comparing it with the overall mortality rate among women in the city from 1830 to 1907. The statistics show a maternal mortality that drastically increases between 1850 and 1864, and an increase in the number of deaths caused by puerperal sepsis in the later part of the period. As well as this, the maternal mortality exceeds the rate of total female mortality between 1850 and 1874, indicating that the women in Trondheim between the ages 15 and 49 were at a higher risk of death during or shortly after childbirth. The results indicate a lack of knowledge of what caused maternal death during the 19th century, alongside a developing understanding of sepsis as a cause of maternal death.