More Casual Confinements?

Far from the civilized world is the hardy jungle mother who stops by the path a few moments to have her child, then catches up with the rest of the tribe. Many people have also been impressed by Mrs. St. Louis Estes of Hollywood, who used to prove about once a year that civilized women can be just as casual--she rarely devoted more than two hours to confinement.

Last week, Dr. Morris L. Rotstein of Baltimore's Sinai Hospital stated in the Journal of the A.M.A. that he now lets healthy new mothers get up on the third or fourth day after delivery, sends them home on the sixth to eighth day, thus relieving ward crowding. (The usual prewar stay was ten or twelve days.) "In this series of 150, no ill effects were noted. The patients . . . were able to take care of both themselves and some of the inbed patients. . . . When allowed to go home . . . they felt strong."

Many other doctors, convinced that civilized woman, like many highly bred animals, is usually physiologically knocked out by the birth process, disagree with Dr. Rotstein. Said a Manhattan obstetrician: "A [new] mother . . . needs a complete physical rest [and] her nervous system must rest also. . . . Unless [the muscular supports] are given full opportunity to resume their normal position, inestimable harm may be done." To relieve Manhattan ward crowding, many cases are sent home early, but are advised to stay in bed a total of two weeks.

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