High Levels Of Infant Mortality Research Articles

Sons shorten mother’s lifespan in pre-industrial families with high level of infant mortality

Sons shorten mother’s lifespan in pre-industrial families with high level of infant mortality

Household Environment Status and Infant Mortality: A Study of West Bengal

The factors influencing infant mortality have been documented in a number studies. A number of individual, biological and household environmental factors were found to be the significant predictor of infant mortality in any human setting. Most existing studies on early childhood mortality in India were based on census data. Using the data from second and third rounds of District Level Household and Facility Survey of India this paper assessed the pattern and degree of association of infant mortality with household environment status at the district level in West Bengal. The estimates of infant mortality rate for districts of West Bengal were derived based on birth history data. The household environment status for each district was determined based on three selected household environment factors, namely, availability of toilet facility, availability of safe drinking water and existence of pucca house. Key findings showed that the northern and western districts of this state were backward in terms of household environment status and mostly the districts of those regions had higher levels of infant mortality. The association of availability of toilet facility with infant mortality was found to be significant and stronger, compared to that of other two household factors.

Lifespan and Failures of SSDs and HDDs: Similarities, Differences, and Prediction Models

Data center downtime typically centers around IT equipment failure. Storage devices are the most frequently failing components in data centers. We present a comparative study of hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) that constitute the typical storage in data centers. Using six-year field data of 100,000 HDDs of different models from the same manufacturer from the Backblaze dataset and six-year field data of 30,000 SSDs of three models from a Google data center, we characterize the workload conditions that lead to failures. We illustrate that their root failure causes differ from common expectations and that they remain difficult to discern. For the case of HDDs we observe that young and old drives do not present many differences in their failures. Instead, failures may be distinguished by discriminating drives based on the time spent for head positioning. For SSDs, we observe high levels of infant mortality and characterize the differences between infant and non-infant failures. We develop several machine learning failure prediction models that are shown to be surprisingly accurate, achieving high recall and low false positive rates. These models are used beyond simple prediction as they aid us to untangle the complex interaction of workload characteristics that lead to failures and identify failure root causes from monitored symptoms.

Jimmy Reid: A Clyde-Built Man

Jimmy Reid: A Clyde-Built Man

The life table paradox: has Brazil already overcome it?

Ideally, life expectancy should be a decreasing function of age. When this fact is not observed, this situation is known as the life table paradox. This paper investigated the timing (and health metrics at the time) in which Brazil and its Federation Units (FU) overcame (or are expected to overcome) this paradox. The data were gathered from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and contained 3,416 sex-specific abridged life tables, from 2000 to 2060. At national level, females and males overcame the paradox in 2016 and 2018, respectively. However, when the FU were examined separately, much heterogeneity was observed. Through the decomposition analysis of the change over time in the difference between life expectancy at birth and at age one, we found that Brazil and most of its FU are expected to have both changes declining over time and the total change is expected to be decreasing and greater than zero. Nevertheless, for some Northeastern states the total change is expected to pass from a positive to a negative value; and for two Northern states the total change is expected to be neither decreasing nor increasing. In a public planning perspective, we understand that achieving balancing in the life tables is a goal to be pursued, especially because having an imbalanced table means that life expectancy at birth is still strongly influenced by high levels of infant mortality. Therefore, this knowledge could help planners to properly define strategies to accelerate the balancing process and revert unequal scenarios.

Санитарно-эпидемиологическое портрет Средневекового города

The work shows that the medieval Western European city was characterized by an extremely low sanitary condition, manifested in the absence of a sewerage system and water supply, in the absence of street paving, unsanitary conditions of houses and streets. The extremely low level of personal hygiene of the inhabitants of the medieval city, a high level of infant mortality, widespread alcoholism, and low life expectancy are shown. It was found that one of the leading reasons for the low sanitary state of medieval cities and the level of personal hygiene was the unbiblical teaching of the medieval church about the immortality of the soul, according to which the flesh needed constant mortification and neglect, and caring for it and the comfort of dwellings was considered a mortal sin.

Seasonality of Infant Mortality in Barnaul in the Second Half of the 19th — Early 20th Centuries (with Reference to Parish Books)

This article analyses the seasonal peculiarities of infant mortality and identifies periods of children’s increased vulnerability to adverse factors during the year. The article assesses infant mortality rate and the impact of various causes in the formation of the situation with infant mortality. Referring to the database of Barnaul parish register books, the author analyses deaths of Orthodox believers between 1869 and 1911. During the period in question, Russia was characterised by a high level of infant mortality, and in Siberia and Barnaul it was ultrahigh. In the early twentieth century, European Russia and the Urals faced a decline in infant mortality. In Barnaul, the rate of the decline was significantly lower. Seasonal infant mortality rates showed increased infant mortality from May to August with peak values in June. Summer months accounted for 50.8% of deaths, spring for 21.7%, winter for 15%, and autumn for 12.5%. In the summer, more than 80% of cases in the structure of infant mortality resulted from infectious and intestinal diseases with an overwhelming percentage of intestinal infections (79%). The percentage of deaths from intestinal infections (smallpox, measles) and bacterial diseases (diphtheria, whooping cough, scarlet fever) was less significant. Most of the deaths from respiratory diseases occurred in spring, followed by winter mortality and autumn mortality. The seasonality rate of child mortality (aged between 1 and 4) shows high values in June and July. In the summer, infant mortality was 1.4 times higher than child mortality and 2.1 higher than total mortality. A quarter of infant mortality was neonatal. The extreme level of the infant mortality rate in Barnaul was accounted for primarily by post-neonatal mortality cases.

Multilevel analysis of infant mortality and its risk factors in South Africa

The study analyzed infant mortality and its risk factors in South Africa. It aimed to examine infant mortality in the country by taking into account the hierarchical nature of the problem and investigate the with-in country variation in modeling. In addition to the usual individual level risk factors of infant mortality, living standard, mother’s education, and income inequality were defined at municipal level, while HIV prevalence was fixed at province level. A multilevel logistic regression model was then fitted with Bayesian MCMC parameter estimation procedure using the 2011 South African census data. Most of the demographic and socioeconomic variables identified at individual level were found significant. More remarkably, the result indicated that communities with better living standard and women's education were associated with lower infant mortality rates, while higher income inequality and HIV prevalence in the communities were associated higher levels of infant mortality. The changes in infants’ odds of death were estimated to be 26%, -21%, 13% and 8% respectively for HIV, women’s education, income inequality and level of the living standard. In addition, unobservable municipal and province level random effects significantly affected the level of infant mortality rates.

Maternal cannibalism in two populations of wild chimpanzees

Maternal cannibalism has been reported in several animal taxa, prompting speculations that the behavior may be part of an evolved strategy. In chimpanzees, however, maternal cannibalism has been conspicuously absent, despite high levels of infant mortality and reports of non-maternal cannibalism. The typical response of chimpanzee mothers is to abandon their deceased infant, sometimes after prolonged periods of carrying and grooming the corpse. Here, we report two anomalous observations of maternal cannibalism in communities of wild chimpanzees in Uganda and Ivory Coast and discuss the evolutionary implications. Both infants likely died under different circumstances; one apparently as a result of premature birth, the other possibly as a result of infanticide. In both cases, the mothers consumed parts of the corpse and participated in meat sharing with other group members. Neither female presented any apparent signs of ill health before or after the events. We concluded that, in both cases, cannibalizing the infant was unlikely due to health-related issues by the mothers. We discuss these observations against a background of chimpanzee mothers consistently refraining from maternal cannibalism, despite ample opportunities and nutritional advantages. We conclude that maternal cannibalism is extremely rare in this primate, likely due to early and strong mother–offspring bond formation, which may have been profoundly disrupted in the current cases.

The ‘high infant mortality’ trap’: the relationship between birth intervals and infant mortality – the example of two localities in Bohemia between the 17th and 19th centuries

ABSTRACTThe article further develops the term ‘high infant mortality trap’ as an expression of the concept supposing a mutual relationship between short average birth intervals (corresponding usually to high fertility) and high level of infant mortality. This mutual relationship is among other a consequence of the effect of the same or similar factors standing behind both processes (fertility, infant mortality). In the paper, this relationship is evaluated through the effect of the selected explanatory variables on the probability of infant death (using the Binomial logistic regression) as well as length of birth-birth intervals or time duration from the infant death to the successive birth (using the Cox regression). In the analytical part, the concept is evaluated using data from two localities in Bohemia (today the Czech Republic). The localities differ according the socio-economic as well as ethnic characteristics, what might have affected also the demographic behaviour. The area of the Central Europe has not been fully described in the historical demographic works yet, so this study brings the possibility of comparison of this area with other areas already studied. Particular parts of the analysis prove the assumption of the existence of the high infant mortality trap before the onset of demographic transition.

Spatial disparities at death. Age-, sex- and disease-specific mortality in the districts of Belgium at the beginning of the twentieth century

At the beginning of the twentieth century, life expectancy at birth was much lower in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium, than in Wallonia, the southern part of the country. In the literature, this excess mortality is mainly attributed to high levels of infant mortality caused by bad feeding practices and low-quality drinking water. The regional variability of mortality risks at other ages during this period has received less attention. In this article, we reconstruct age-, sex- and disease-specific death rates for the 41 districts of Belgium around the year 1910. To show the mortality variations, we construct maps according to indirect standardised mortality rates that reflect the deviation from the national average. Our spatial analysis shows that there was a clear-cut Flemish-Walloon divide in general mortality only for infants and children under the age of 7. For older children, adolescents, and young and elderly adults, low and high mortality were observed in both regions. For disease-specific mortality, moreover, a geographical pattern was only visible for infants, who consistently had the highest death rates in Flanders. Hence, the spatial disparities in general and disease-specific mortality cannot be simplified according to a Flemish-Walloon divide. Furthermore, we noted large differences among districts belonging to the same province, and in the ranking of the districts by age. In other words, high mortality levels of infants, children, adolescents and adults did not per se appear in the same districts. From adolescent ages onwards, there were also large differences in the ranking of districts by sex-specific mortality. This strongly suggests the importance of sex-specific determinants of health and mortality at these ages.

The Flexibility of Fertility Preferences in a Context of Uncertainty.

The Flexibility of Fertility Preferences in a Context of Uncertainty.

The contribution of the foreign population to the high level of infant mortality in Switzerland: a demographic analysis

BackgroundIn 2011 Switzerland reported the highest infant mortality rate among Western European countries, as well as the highest percentage of foreign population (23%). The comparison of the Swiss and foreign population in terms of reproductive health has received so far insufficient attention. The aim of the present study is to analyze the infant (IMR) and neonatal mortality rates (NMR) of Swiss and foreign children over the last 30 years.MethodsVital statistics from the period 1980 to 2011 were used to compute IMR and NMR according to year and/or citizenship. The main analyses were made contrasting Swiss versus foreigners as a single category, as well as by country of origin. Comparisons between groups were done using relative risks.ResultsIn 1980–1989, IMR was 14% higher among foreign children as compared to Swiss children, and NMR 28% higher. In 2006–2010, IMR was 18% higher among foreign children than among Swiss children, and NMR 29% higher. The highest gap of IMR was observed during the period 1990–1993 (+21%). Looking at single countries, in 2008–2010 children of migrants from Germany, Portugal, Turkey, Italy, France, Kosovo and Spain had a higher level of IMR as compared to Swiss children.ConclusionsThe analysis of vital statistics confirms that over the last 30 years the gap of IMR and NMR between Swiss and foreign children has not decreased. Whatever the combination of mechanisms, which cause the observed difference, this fundamental inequity needs to be investigated and remedied by a large scale, concerted effort.

Suffering Peacefully: Experiences of Infancy Death in Contemporary Zambia

AbstractIn Ng'ombe Township in Lusaka, the death of a baby is often met with silence. Based on long‐term ethnographic fieldwork, this article explores how the bereaved mother's silence is guided by wider cultural norms and values associated with death, by complex notions of what it means to be a person, and by local perceptions of mental health and well‐being. To enhance the complexity of the mother's silences, it also explores how structures of poverty manifest in mothers’ experiences of loss and how silence may hold feelings of inadequacy but also of care and compassion. Finally, the article aims to provide a counterweight to the predominant assumption that mothers in poor communities, who experience high levels of infant mortality, fail to mourn the death of their babies, as well as to psychological theories that assumes verbal expressions as vital for the mourner's mental recovery after loss.

THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONSANGUINEOUS MARRIAGES AND INFANT MORTALITY IN TURKEY.

Turkey has high levels of infant mortality and consanguineous marriages. It has had a high level of infant mortality for its economic level for many years. Over recent decades, although adult mortality rates have not been very different from those of other countries with similar socioeconomic structures, its life expectancy at birth has remained low due to its high infant mortality rate. This has been called the Turkish Puzzle. According to the Turkey Family Structure and Population Issues Survey, 27% of women had a consanguineous marriage in 1968. Subsequent Turkish Demographic and Health Surveys (TDHSs) found the rate of consanguineous marriages to be stagnated at 22-24%, with a resistance to reduction. According to the TDHS-2008, 24% of women had a consanguineous marriage. Numerous studies in various countries of the world have indicated that consanguineous marriages, particularly of first-degree, have the effect of increasing infant mortality. The main aim of this study was to assess the causal impact of consanguineous, particularly first-degree consanguineous, marriages on infant mortality, controlling for individual, cultural, bio-demographic and environmental factors. Data were merged from four Turkish DHS data sets (1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008). Multivariate analysis revealed that first-degree consanguineous marriages have increased infant mortality by 45% in Turkey: 57% in urban areas and 39% in rural areas. The results indicate that there is a causal relationship between consanguineous marriages and infant mortality. This finding should be taken into account when planning policies to reduce infant mortality in Turkey, and in other countries with high rates of consanguineous marriage and infant mortality.

Some aspects of health status of the Gypsy population in Slovakia.

Population of the Gypsy people living currently in Slovakia reaches approximately 400,000 people which represents 7.5% of the total Slovak population. The age structure of the Gypsy population is of a considerably progressive type with a high number of children and very low number of old people. This is due to the high natality and high mortality of Gypsies, whose health status is worse than the health status of the majority population. Gypsy people represent an important "old-new" risk group in case of tuberculosis and a more frequent occurrence of other transmitted diseases is observed in them while a higher incidence of genetically conditioned diseases has been confirmed, as well. As for children, a higher frequency of infectious diseases, injuries, intoxications and burns can be found as a result of their environmental conditions. A high level of infant mortality of the Gypsy children is a very negative phenomenon. We can state that the lifestyle of the Gypsy population is unhealthy, characterized by bad dietary habits, drinking alcohol, frequent smoking already in a very young age, higher weight and lower physical activity. All findings confirm that the Gypsy population is threatened by cardiovascular diseases at younger age already. Due to a more difficult approach to the health care, part of the Gypsies consult the physician only when in a serious health state. Health status of the Gypsy seniors has been reported only at minimum due to their low representation in population. Typical feature of this ethnic is, that they take care of their seniors. To prove this, during the author´s twenty seven-year practice he met just three old Gypsy women in social institutions. It is very difficult to address problems related to the Gypsy population; this task requires engagement of all spheres of our society, in particular of the Gypsies themselves, including their organizations (Ref. 50).

Lovely little angels in heaven? The influence of religiously determined cultural life scripts on infant survival in the Netherlands, 1880-1920

The way small infants are cared for, in the past as much as today, is partly determined by cultural scripts which may vary between places and times. In the past some of the cultural scripts involved in infant care were shaped by religious rules and traditions. These scripts could sometimes be life-saving, as was the case with the orthodox Jewish care of infants, or they could be lethal, given the circumstances. In Dutch historiography, the Catholic community has been held responsible for the rather high level of infant mortality during the later parts of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth century. From this perspective Catholics are either seen as having been averse to the introduction of modern medicine and hygiene, or as followers of a strict clerical campaign of prudishness enforcing the binding of female breasts and prohibiting the bearing of breasts in public. As a result Catholic mothers did not or could not suckle their infants, thereby creating life threatening situations for their little ones. In this study we first explore the likelihood that Catholic mothers were not breastfeeding their infants; secondly, we test the role of religion as the most important exogenous determinant of infant mortality in the period 1880-1920.

Regional Variations of Infant Mortality in Kenya: Evidence from 2009 KDHS Data

High infant mortality rates remain a great challenge to the Kenyan Government as she strives to attain the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). In its current Development Blue – Print, Vision 2030, the country aims at eliminating high poverty levels and reduce the high regional inequalities. This comparative paper focuses on the determinants of infant mortality in Kenya. It specifically examines the regional differences in infant mortality among the various regions in the country classified into two broad categories as High mortality and Low mortality regions respectively. Data used was derived from birth histories in the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS, 2009). The findings of the study indicate that regional differences in under- one mortality are quite significant. The results show that low educational attainment, low socio – economic status and short intervals between births lead to the observed higher levels of infant mortality in the high mortality region. It is concluded that the regional differences in infant mortality are a result of the differences in the level of economic and social development. It is recommended that the Government implement policies aimed at increasing the length of birth intervals and improving the womens` financial and occupational status. Lastly, free secondary education will go along way in improving the welfare of womenfolk especially in the high mortality region. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n9p425

Harry W. Paul Henri de Rothschild, 1872–1947: Medicine and Theater, The History of Medicine in Context (Farnham: Ashgate, 2011), pp. ix $+ $ 311, £70.00, hardback, ISBN: 978-1-4094-0515-3.

Harry W. Paul Henri de Rothschild, 1872–1947: Medicine and Theater, The History of Medicine in Context (Farnham: Ashgate, 2011), pp. ix 311, £70.00, hardback, ISBN: 978-1-4094-0515-3. - Volume 56 Issue 3

The International Monetary Fund, Structural Adjustment, and Infant Mortality: A Cross-National Analysis of Sub-Saharan Africa

The authors conduct a cross-national analysis that tests the hypothesis that International Monetary Fund structural adjustment adversely affects health in Sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, the authors use two-way fixed effects regression models for 30 nations from 1990 to 2005 to analyze infant mortality. The authors find substantial support for this line of reasoning. Specifically, the authors find that higher levels of International Monetary Fund structural adjustment correspond with higher levels of infant mortality within Sub-Saharan African nations. The results indicate that structural adjustment affects infant mortality indirectly via human immunodeficiency virus prevalence, access to an improved water and sanitation source, female educational attainment, debt service, foreign investment, international trade, and gross national product per capita. The authors conclude by discussing the findings, methodological implications, policy suggestions, and possible directions for future research.