The impact of breast feeding patterns on the biometric analysis of infant mortality

Abstract

A major assumption of the biometric analysis of infant mortality as developed by Bourgeois-Pichat is that the age structure of infant deaths after the first month of life is virtually constant across time and cultures. Reanalysis of results from studies which compare the mortality of infants according to the type of feeding indicated that the relationship between mortality and age within the first year of life followed different patterns for breast fed and artificially fed infants. Historical data for populations with different breast feeding customs reveal similar differences in the age pattern of infant mortality. In populations where breast feeding was uncommon or of very short duration, infant mortality rises particularly steeply during the early months of the first year of life. The age structure of infant mortality in less developed countries where breast feeding is decreasing rapidly may bsimilarly affected. When substantial deviations from the linear relationship are evident, particular caution is required in applying the biometric technique, since in such situations the estimated endogenous mortality is very much affected by the particular set of data points within the first year of life which are chosen for the basis of the estimates.

The correlates of infant and childhood mortality

“…In fact, it is impossible to reconstruct such information for historical European populations in a way that would allow for the construction of a database that would be useful for quantitative analysis. The only exceptions here are studies of breastfeeding habits, which usually show that early weaning leads to a sharp increase in infant mortality (Forste 1994;Knodel and Kintner 1977;Manda 1999;Rosenberg 1989). …”

“…Usually, many of the correlates are indirect measures or indicators of endogenous or exogenous causes. The most advanced studies of infant and child mortality rely on biometric variables such as birth weight, mother's nutritional status, and duration of breastfeeding (Knodel and Kintner 1977;Kuate-Defo 1997;Sear 2001). Such analyses provide a quite accurate picture of infant mortality since the aforementioned factors are the best predictors of mortality, especially during the early stages of life.…”

“…In fact, it is impossible to reconstruct such information for historical European populations in a way that would allow for the construction of a database that would be useful for quantitative analysis. The only exceptions here are studies of breastfeeding habits, which usually show that early weaning leads to a sharp increase in infant mortality (Forste 1994;Knodel and Kintner 1977;Manda 1999;Rosenberg 1989).Due to these obvious limitations, researchers working with historical data have had to find alternative measures and correlates in order to describe the patterns of infant mortality. These measures, which can be easily calculated on the basis of historical data, indirectly reflect the condition of the index child, as well as the condition of the mother.…”

Effects of Education Level of Father and Mother on Perceptions of Breastfeeding

“…In developing countries, breastfed infants experience substantially lower Introduction 67 morbidity and mortality risks than infants who are not breastfed, particularly in the first year of life. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Breast milk is well known to have positive impact on child health. Research in public health has found that essential antibodies are present in the first breast milk (colostrum) and these antibodies provide the newborn with the needed protection against some infectious diseases and thus enhance the resistance to infectious disease attack.…”

Mortality in an Early Ontario Community: Belleville 1876–1885

“…In order to gain greater insight into the nature and variation in breast-feeding practices in late nineteenth-century Belleville, we used the biométrie technique of Bourgeois-Pichat 98 coupled with the findings of Knodel and Kintner, 99 who applied this method on populations with known patterns of various feeding practices. In populations where breast-feeding was uncommon or short in duration, Knodel and Kintner found that infant mortality rises particularly steeply during the early months of the first year of life.…”