Citation

Scrimshaw SC. Estud. Poblac. 1979; (Spec No): 81-97.

Vernacular Title

La mortalidad infantil y el comportamiento respecto a la regulacion del tamano de

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, Asociación Colombiana para el Estudio de la Población)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12262010

Abstract

The concept that infant mortality may be a response to high fertility rather than a stimulus for it is rarely mentioned. In some societies infant mortality may constitute an unconscious or even intentional means of achieving a particular family size. This work examines this aspect of the relationship between fertility and mortality, beginning with a review of theoretical and empirical analyses of the factors involved in infant mortality which are believed to inflate fertility. It is argued that despite some evidence in support of the hypotheses that high fertility is a response to infant mortality, the evidence is not conclusive and the hypotheses are probably not sufficient to account for the relationship between mortality and fertility. Evidence from primitive and preindustrial societies is presented which suggests the presence of deliberate control over fertility and mortality. The potential for population increase in such societies was high, and deliberate infanticide dating back to the Upper Paleolithic was one response. In some contemporary societies there is evidence that underinvestment in some children leads to differential mortality. Variations in infant mortality by sex, birth order, spacing, and total family size have been noted, but deficiencies of data make firm conclusions difficult. Behavior patterns that influence infant morbidity and mortality are discussed and illustrated.

Language: es