«afgjort, at denne Børnesygdom paa Vestmannø kan forebygges» - neonatal tetanus på Vestmannaeyjar

Abstract

At the beginning of the 1800 s neonatal tetanus was a major health hazard on the Westman Islands, an archipelago immediately south of Iceland. Up to 60–70% of newborn babies died in the course of the first two weeks of life, and Danish health authorities were almost helpless in the face of this mysterious disease. In 1847 the young Danish doctor Peter Anton Schleisner (1818-1900) was sent to the islands to investigate the conditions there. He established a maternity hospital, gave advice on hygiene and encouraged breast-feeding and a number of changes in diet. Since there was no known treatment, Schleisner's only option was to resort to preventive measures. He dressed the umbilical stump with balsamum copaivae and tried well-established methods such as opium tincture with saffron and mercurial ointment if there was any sign of infection. By the time he returned to Denmark after nine months, mortality had been halved. Neonatal mortality on the Westman Islands remained at the same low level throughout the rest of the 19th century. According to popular belief this was due to the naflaolian (navel oil) which Schleisner introduced. Nevertheless, it can be partly attributed to generally improved living standards, a relatively higher number of mothers in better social circumstances, a greater urban influence, changed lifestyle and hygienic measures. Schleisner's efforts are considered to have had major significance when conditions are compared with those on the Scottish island of St Kilda where the situation was the same and improved only just before the turn of the century.