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Some Comments on the Chicago Maternity Center and on the NYC Maternity Center Association

Some Comments on the Chicago Maternity Center and on the NYC Maternity Center Association RUTH WATSON LUBIC, CNM, EDD Judith Walzer Leavitt's paper, Joseph B. Delee and the organized the Association for the Promotion and StandardPractice of Preventive Obstetrics,' is a thoughtful retrospecization of Midwifery. That organization amalgamated with tive analysis of the work and goals of Dr. DeLee. There are MCA in 1934, and the Lobenstine Clinic and Midwifery striking similarities and differences between the work of Dr. School which had been established in 1931 became part of DeLee through the Chicago Maternity Center and that of the MCA. Maternity Center Association (MCA) in New York City. Unlike Dr. DeLee, who saw the improvement of materThe MCA Log, 1915-1980,2 begins with a reference to a nity care coming through family physicians taking over 1915 study of facilities for maternity care which was initiated midwifery practice, MCA focused rather on upgrading and because of the concern of health experts regarding the high standardizing the work of the midwife. After an attempt in the rates of infant loss and a general assumption that application 1920s to operate a midwifery school for women without of good prenatal and delivery care would reduce the loss. particular prerequisite education, the decision had been "Dr. Haven Emerson, the then Health Commissioner of reached to educate public health nurses in midwifery. New York City, named Doctors J. Clifton Edgar, Philip Van Dr. Leavitt's articlel on Dr. DeLee's work does not Ingen, and Ralph W. Lobenstine a committee to analyze the mention commitment to the infant or to mothercraft. In existing obstetric conditions in Manhattan... The findings contrast, MCA emphasized the importance of nutrition in revealed that approximately thirty-five per cent of the women both mother and infant health and sent public health nurses were delivered in hospitals, thirty per cent by midwives, ten to do outreach, tempting the expectant women to the clinic; per cent by private physicians with obstetric experience, and the remaining twenty-five per cent by general practitioners. mothers received a hot lunch and were given layette materials Comparatively few of these patients had any prenatal care... on which they could sew while instruction in infant care was The committee report suggested that the city be divided into carried out. ten zones for maternity care..., that a maternity center be In sum, Dr. DeLee and his Chicago Maternity Center established in each of the ten zones:"2 and the Maternity Center Association in New York both recognized the value of demonstrating their ideas. Dr. DeLee MCA, activated as a program of the Women's City Club, developed activities to teach the community about prenatal himself was the agent of change which established and care, to secure such care for all mothers in the zone, and to personally supported the Chicago Maternity Center. In New conduct a clinic. Founded in 1918, MCA was incorporated as York, the MCA was a voluntary health agency with a strong a not-for-profit voluntary health agency with a consumer board of women consumers bolstered by medical advice who board of directors; by 1920 there were 30 centers and effected change and improvement. Both agents saw the value sub-stations under MCA's supervision. of non-interventionist midwifery. Dr. DeLee saw the practice In 1921, Dublin and Stevens reviewed the records of as an opportunity for family physicians, while the MCA 8,743 women who had received prenatal and postnatal care utilized the skills and experience of well-prepared public under MCA's supervision. They reported "a 29.2% reduction health nurses to improve the practice directly. Indirectly, in the deaths of infants less than one month old and a 21.5% through the nurse-midwife's ability to supervise indigenous reduction in the deaths of mothers as compared with the rates and immigrant midwives rather than to stamp out their in the city.' '2 practice, many a newly arrived woman was ensured of care In the meantime, Dr. Lobenstine, chairman of MCA's by someone who understood her language and other facets of Medical Advisory Board from 1918 to 1931, had been her culture. This difference in approach is one which is investigating means for improving the work of midwives and, observable even today whenever nurses and physicians along with Mary Breckinridge, Hazel Corbin, Lillian Hudproblem-solve. The difference need not be looked on as son, Dr. George W. Kosmak, Dr. John 0. Polak, Dr. divisive or hierarchical but rather as complementary for the Benjamin P. Watson, and Dr. Linsly R. Williams, had benefit of childbearing families. Address reprint requests to Ruth Watson Lubic, CNM, EdD, General Director, Maternity Center Association, 48 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128. This paper, invited by the editor, was accepted for publication June 22, 1988. Editor's Note: See also related papers pp 1353 and 1361 this issue. © 1988 American Journal of Public Health 0090-0036/88$1.50 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Public Health American Public Health Association

Some Comments on the Chicago Maternity Center and on the NYC Maternity Center Association

American Journal of Public Health , Volume 78 (10) – Oct 1, 1988

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Publisher
American Public Health Association
Copyright
Copyright © by the American Public Health Association
ISSN
0090-0036
eISSN
1541-0048
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Abstract

RUTH WATSON LUBIC, CNM, EDD Judith Walzer Leavitt's paper, Joseph B. Delee and the organized the Association for the Promotion and StandardPractice of Preventive Obstetrics,' is a thoughtful retrospecization of Midwifery. That organization amalgamated with tive analysis of the work and goals of Dr. DeLee. There are MCA in 1934, and the Lobenstine Clinic and Midwifery striking similarities and differences between the work of Dr. School which had been established in 1931 became part of DeLee through the Chicago Maternity Center and that of the MCA. Maternity Center Association (MCA) in New York City. Unlike Dr. DeLee, who saw the improvement of materThe MCA Log, 1915-1980,2 begins with a reference to a nity care coming through family physicians taking over 1915 study of facilities for maternity care which was initiated midwifery practice, MCA focused rather on upgrading and because of the concern of health experts regarding the high standardizing the work of the midwife. After an attempt in the rates of infant loss and a general assumption that application 1920s to operate a midwifery school for women without of good prenatal and delivery care would reduce the loss. particular prerequisite education, the decision had been "Dr. Haven Emerson, the then Health Commissioner of reached to educate public health nurses in midwifery. New York City, named Doctors J. Clifton Edgar, Philip Van Dr. Leavitt's articlel on Dr. DeLee's work does not Ingen, and Ralph W. Lobenstine a committee to analyze the mention commitment to the infant or to mothercraft. In existing obstetric conditions in Manhattan... The findings contrast, MCA emphasized the importance of nutrition in revealed that approximately thirty-five per cent of the women both mother and infant health and sent public health nurses were delivered in hospitals, thirty per cent by midwives, ten to do outreach, tempting the expectant women to the clinic; per cent by private physicians with obstetric experience, and the remaining twenty-five per cent by general practitioners. mothers received a hot lunch and were given layette materials Comparatively few of these patients had any prenatal care... on which they could sew while instruction in infant care was The committee report suggested that the city be divided into carried out. ten zones for maternity care..., that a maternity center be In sum, Dr. DeLee and his Chicago Maternity Center established in each of the ten zones:"2 and the Maternity Center Association in New York both recognized the value of demonstrating their ideas. Dr. DeLee MCA, activated as a program of the Women's City Club, developed activities to teach the community about prenatal himself was the agent of change which established and care, to secure such care for all mothers in the zone, and to personally supported the Chicago Maternity Center. In New conduct a clinic. Founded in 1918, MCA was incorporated as York, the MCA was a voluntary health agency with a strong a not-for-profit voluntary health agency with a consumer board of women consumers bolstered by medical advice who board of directors; by 1920 there were 30 centers and effected change and improvement. Both agents saw the value sub-stations under MCA's supervision. of non-interventionist midwifery. Dr. DeLee saw the practice In 1921, Dublin and Stevens reviewed the records of as an opportunity for family physicians, while the MCA 8,743 women who had received prenatal and postnatal care utilized the skills and experience of well-prepared public under MCA's supervision. They reported "a 29.2% reduction health nurses to improve the practice directly. Indirectly, in the deaths of infants less than one month old and a 21.5% through the nurse-midwife's ability to supervise indigenous reduction in the deaths of mothers as compared with the rates and immigrant midwives rather than to stamp out their in the city.' '2 practice, many a newly arrived woman was ensured of care In the meantime, Dr. Lobenstine, chairman of MCA's by someone who understood her language and other facets of Medical Advisory Board from 1918 to 1931, had been her culture. This difference in approach is one which is investigating means for improving the work of midwives and, observable even today whenever nurses and physicians along with Mary Breckinridge, Hazel Corbin, Lillian Hudproblem-solve. The difference need not be looked on as son, Dr. George W. Kosmak, Dr. John 0. Polak, Dr. divisive or hierarchical but rather as complementary for the Benjamin P. Watson, and Dr. Linsly R. Williams, had benefit of childbearing families. Address reprint requests to Ruth Watson Lubic, CNM, EdD, General Director, Maternity Center Association, 48 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128. This paper, invited by the editor, was accepted for publication June 22, 1988. Editor's Note: See also related papers pp 1353 and 1361 this issue. © 1988 American Journal of Public Health 0090-0036/88$1.50

Journal

American Journal of Public HealthAmerican Public Health Association

Published: Oct 1, 1988

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