Re: Re: Childbirth

From: Stephen Rennell <steve_at_...>
Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 15:35:42 +1200

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 10:16, jeffrichard68 wrote:
> > For childbirth, what's the normal rate of mortality for Mom &
> > Baby? Again, I could look it up, but I won't bother.

> For what it is worth, the medieval mortality figures I've seen
> suggest that about 20-30% die within a year. 2/3 die before
> adulthood.

I remember reading something that suggested historically that child and mother mortality went down significantly when people started using iron cooking pots (anaemia makes blood loss more significant).

I can't remember where I read it, but my wife remembers reading something similar as well, so perhaps I'm not imagining it...

Perhaps iron cookware should give a bonus to surviving childhood? (I can just see concerned parents turning their iron helmets into cooking pots now...)

Stephen

-- 
Stephen Rennell		steve_at_...
Wellington, New Zealand
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