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Background and objective <p>For millennia, one in three newborns died during the first year of life, and causes of death were unknown. The present review of the literature aims to delineate the origins of birth registration and demography and demonstrates how the publication of infant mortality data and causes accompanied the decrease in infant mortality in Europe.</p> Results <p>European pioneers of vital statistics were Graunt in Britain, Süßmilch in Prussia, Berg in Sweden, Quetelet in Belgium, Villermé in France, and Bodio in Italy. Since 1860, reasonably reliable records have been available, and infant mortality, ranging at that time from 100 to 300 per 1000&#xa0;live births, was perceived as a&#xa0;humanitarian and political problem. Variables identified as being associated with infant mortality included artificial feeding, poor sanitation, parental social and marital status, male gender, ethnicity, prematurity, and others, although their precise mechanisms often remained unclear. From 1900, a&#xa0;dramatic and sustained decline in infant mortality caused a&#xa0;demographic revolution. Since 2000, infant mortality rates have ranged from 2&#xa0;to 12 per 1000&#xa0;liveborn infants in developed countries. Most of this reduction was achieved through public health measures and improved sanitation.</p> Conclusion <p>Only when prematurity became the major cause of infant mortality in the second half of the 20th century could medicine claim to have enabled the decline in infant mortality.</p>

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Geschichte der Säuglingssterblichkeit in Europa

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月19日

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  • Michael Obladen

摘要

Background and objective

For millennia, one in three newborns died during the first year of life, and causes of death were unknown. The present review of the literature aims to delineate the origins of birth registration and demography and demonstrates how the publication of infant mortality data and causes accompanied the decrease in infant mortality in Europe.

Results

European pioneers of vital statistics were Graunt in Britain, Süßmilch in Prussia, Berg in Sweden, Quetelet in Belgium, Villermé in France, and Bodio in Italy. Since 1860, reasonably reliable records have been available, and infant mortality, ranging at that time from 100 to 300 per 1000 live births, was perceived as a humanitarian and political problem. Variables identified as being associated with infant mortality included artificial feeding, poor sanitation, parental social and marital status, male gender, ethnicity, prematurity, and others, although their precise mechanisms often remained unclear. From 1900, a dramatic and sustained decline in infant mortality caused a demographic revolution. Since 2000, infant mortality rates have ranged from 2 to 12 per 1000 liveborn infants in developed countries. Most of this reduction was achieved through public health measures and improved sanitation.

Conclusion

Only when prematurity became the major cause of infant mortality in the second half of the 20th century could medicine claim to have enabled the decline in infant mortality.