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Effects of nutritional stress and socio-economic status on maternal mortality in six German villages, 1766-1863

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  • Francesco Scalone

Abstract

We examined the effects of nutritional stress on maternal mortality arising from short-term economic crises in eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century Germany, and how these effects might have been mitigated by socio-economic status. Historical data from six German villages were used to assess how socio-economic conditions and short-term economic crises following poor harvests may have affected maternal mortality. The results show that 1 year after an increase in grain prices the risk of maternal death increased significantly amongst the wives of those working outside the agricultural sector, and more so than for the wives of those working on farms. Nutritional crises seem to have had a significantly stronger impact on maternal mortality in the period 2-6 weeks after childbirth, when mothers were most prone to infections and indirect, obstetrical causes of maternal death. The findings indicate that both nutritional stress and socio-economic factors contributed to maternal mortality.

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  • Francesco Scalone, 2014. "Effects of nutritional stress and socio-economic status on maternal mortality in six German villages, 1766-1863," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 68(2), pages 217-236, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:rpstxx:v:68:y:2014:i:2:p:217-236
    DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2013.821153
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    1. John Komlos, 1994. "Stature, Living Standards, and Economic Development: Essays in Anthropometric History," Books by John Komlos, Department of Economics, University of Munich, number 11, June.
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    3. Julie DaVanzo & Abdur Razzaque & Mizanur Rahman & Lauren Hale & Kapil Ahmed & Mehrab Ali Khan & Golam Mustafa & Kaniz Gausia, 2004. "The Effects of Birth Spacing on Infant and Child Mortality, Pregnancy Outcomes, and Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in Matlab, Bangladesh," Working Papers WR-198, RAND Corporation.
    4. Julie DaVanzo & Abdur Razzaque & Mizanur Rahman & Lauren Hale & Kapil Ahmed & Mehrab Ali Khan & Golam Mustafa & Kaniz Gausia, 2004. "The Effects of Birth Spacing on Infant and Child Mortality, Pregnancy Outcomes, and Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in Matlab, Bangladesh," Working Papers 198, RAND Corporation.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kai Pierre Willführ & Johannes Johow & Eckart Voland, 2018. "When the mother-in-law is just as good—Differential mortality of reproductive females by family network composition," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(3), pages 1-22, March.
    2. Francesco Scalone & Alessandra Samoggia, 2018. "Neonatal mortality, cold weather, and socioeconomic status in two northern Italian rural parishes, 1820–1900," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(18), pages 525-560.

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