Levene Alysa
Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, University of Cambridge, UK.
Popul Stud (Camb). 2005 Mar;59(1):87-97. doi: 10.1080/0032472052000332728.
The high mortality of foundlings across Europe has long been established by historical demographers but methods of quantification have not permitted comparison with rates in the populations beyond the foundling hospitals. This study investigates mortality rates at the London Foundling Hospital in the eighteenth century in a way that addresses the issue. The study finds that although foundling mortality was extremely high at certain periods in the hospital's history, there is evidence for a decline towards the end of the century, in common with national and local rates. This suggests that the causes of the mortality fall were common even to infants born in disadvantaged circumstances, and brought up away from their mothers. Several possible reasons for the fall in mortality are considered, including improved nutrition among mothers, a shift in the disease environment, and changes in such habits as gin drinking.
欧洲弃婴的高死亡率早已被历史人口统计学家所证实，但量化方法却不允许将其与弃婴医院之外的人口死亡率进行比较。本研究以一种解决该问题的方式，调查了18世纪伦敦弃婴医院的死亡率。研究发现，尽管在医院历史上的某些时期弃婴死亡率极高，但有证据表明，到世纪末死亡率有所下降，这与全国和地方的死亡率趋势一致。这表明，死亡率下降的原因对于出生在弱势环境且与母亲分离成长的婴儿来说是普遍存在的。研究考虑了死亡率下降的几个可能原因，包括母亲营养状况的改善、疾病环境的转变以及杜松子酒饮用等习惯的变化。
