Weather extremes and perinatal mortality - Seasonal and ethnic differences in northern Sweden, 1800-1895.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown the impact of heat and cold on total and age-specific mortality, but knowledge gaps remain regarding weather vulnerability of very young infants. This study assessed the association of temperature extremes with perinatal mortality (stillbirths and deaths in the first week of life), among two ethnic groups in pre-industrial northern Sweden. METHODS: We used population data of indigenous Sami and non-Sami in selected parishes of northern Sweden, 1800-1895, and monthly temperature data. Multiple logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the association of cold (<10th percentile of temperature) and warmth (>90th percentile) in the month of birth with perinatal mortality, adjusted for cold and warmth in the month prior birth and period, stratified by season and ethnicity. RESULTS: Perinatal mortality was slightly higher in Sami than in non-Sami (46 vs. 42 / 1000 live and stillbirths), but showed large variations across the region and over time. Both groups saw the highest perinatal mortality in autumn. For Sami, winter was a high-risk time as well, while for non-Sami, seasonality was less distinct. We found an association between exposure to cold and perinatal mortality among winter-born Sami [Odds ratio (OR) 1.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26-2.92, compared to moderate temperature], while there was little effect of cold or warmth during other seasons. Non-Sami, meanwhile, were affected in summer by warmth (OR 0.20, CI 0.05-0.81), and in autumn by cold (OR 0.39, CI 0.19-0.82). CONCLUSIONS: In this pre-industrial, subarctic setting, the indigenous Sami's perinatal mortality was influenced by extreme cold in winter, while non-Sami seemed to benefit from high temperature in summer and low temperature in autumn. Climate vulnerability of these two ethnic groups sharing the same environment was shaped by their specific lifestyles and living conditions.

Por el bien de la nación: discursos científicos en favor de la medicalización del parto en el Perú, 1900-1940 / For the good of the nation: scientific discourses endorsing the medicalization of childbirth in Peru, 1900-1940

Resumen A lo largo del siglo XX se sucedió una serie de cambios en la forma de concebir el parto que pasó de ser un fenómeno reproductivo natural propio del ámbito doméstico y femenino a un asunto médico y profesional del ámbito institucional. A través de procedimientos como el uso de anestesia, la cesárea, el ultrasonido y otras intervenciones técnico-científicas se han generado rápidas e importantes mejoras y cambios para la salud y vida de la sociedad y las mujeres. La medicalización del parto a comienzos del siglo XX fue parte de un proceso más amplio de construcción del Estado e institucionalización del patriarcado común en la región.

Abstract Over the course of the twentieth century, a series of changes occurred in the understanding of childbirth, which went from being a natural reproductive phenomenon belonging to the female, domestic sphere to a professional medical matter handled in an institutional setting. Through procedures like the use of anesthesia, Cesarean sections, ultrasound and other techno-scientific interventions, rapid and significant improvements and changes took place in the health and life of society and of women. The medicalization of childbirth in the early twentieth century was part of a broader process of constructing the state and institutionalizing the patriarchy that was common throughout the region.

For the good of the nation: scientific discourses endorsing the medicalization of childbirth in Peru, 1900-1940. / Por el bien de la nación: discursos científicos en favor de la medicalización del parto en el Perú, 1900-1940.

Over the course of the twentieth century, a series of changes occurred in the understanding of childbirth, which went from being a natural reproductive phenomenon belonging to the female, domestic sphere to a professional medical matter handled in an institutional setting. Through procedures like the use of anesthesia, Cesarean sections, ultrasound and other techno-scientific interventions, rapid and significant improvements and changes took place in the health and life of society and of women. The medicalization of childbirth in the early twentieth century was part of a broader process of constructing the state and institutionalizing the patriarchy that was common throughout the region.

A lo largo del siglo XX se sucedió una serie de cambios en la forma de concebir el parto que pasó de ser un fenómeno reproductivo natural propio del ámbito doméstico y femenino a un asunto médico y profesional del ámbito institucional. A través de procedimientos como el uso de anestesia, la cesárea, el ultrasonido y otras intervenciones técnico-científicas se han generado rápidas e importantes mejoras y cambios para la salud y vida de la sociedad y las mujeres. La medicalización del parto a comienzos del siglo XX fue parte de un proceso más amplio de construcción del Estado e institucionalización del patriarcado común en la región.

Análisis de la mortalidad expósita de la inclusa de Toledo y sus condicionantes (1900-1930) / Analysis of the mortality experience among the abandoned children in the foundling hospital of Toledo and its determinants (1900-1930)

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la mortalidad expósita y sus causas en una cohorte de niños abandonados en la inclusa toledana, aquellos que nacieron en la Maternidad aneja, como grupo homogéneo que partía de unas condiciones de alumbramiento similares y fueron institucionalizados al nacer. Ello permite comparar esta mortalidad expósita con la de otras inclusas españolas y con la mortalidad poblacional, a la vez que explica los distintos factores que pudieron condicionarla (AU)

The aim of this work is to analyze the mortality and its causes in the abandoned children of the Children’s home of Toledo, who were born in the Maternity House, because it was a homogeneous group which had the same conditions in their delivery and they were abandoned at the moment of their birth. It allows us to compare the mortality of this group of foundlings with the mortality of the general population and with the mortality of those abandoned in other Charity Institutions. This paper explains the different factors which could determine the mortality (AU)

Biological and Cultural Causes of Seasonality of Deaths in Historical Populations From Poland.

Seasonal fluctuations in mortality and their causes in the nineteenth century Polish rural populations: wealthy, agriculturally and economically advanced populations from Wielkopolska, and poor populations from Silesia and Galicia (southern Poland) were described. Data-sources included parish death registers from the Roman Catholic parish of Dziekanowice in the region of Wielkopolska, Prussian statistical yearbooks for the Pozna Province as well as information from previous publications regarding Silesia and Galicia. The 19th century patterns were compared with those in present-day Poland. The occurrence of seasonality of deaths was assessed with: the Chi-squared test, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Models (ARIMA). In all populations there was a winter maximum of the number of deaths, while the minimum occurred in early summer. In the poor populations of Silesia and Galicia another statistically significant increase in the incidence of deaths was observed in the early spring. In the rich and modern villages of Wielkopolska there was no spring increase in the number of deaths, however, in all populations of Wielkopolska, irrespective of a particular pattern, a secondary mortality peak occurred in the late summer and autumn. Statistical tests used in this study did not show any clear differences in the distribution of the seasonality of deaths between the populations of Wielkopolska on the one hand, and the populations from Galicia and Silesia, on the other hand. The statistical significance of differences was, however, evident between populations representing the two distinguished by secondary peaks death seasonality patterns. Seasonal death increase split the populations under study into two groups according to the criterion of wealth.

The effect of Rh-negative disease on perinatal mortality: some evidence from the Skellefteå region, Sweden, 1860-1900.

The Rh-negative gene is a well-known cause of perinatal mortality. In this article, we analyze the possible role of Rh disease in perinatal mortality and stillbirths in a particular historical setting: the Skellefteå region in northern Sweden between 1860 and 1900. The data used for the study cover 23,067 children born to 4,943 women. The exact impact is not possible to establish using historical data, but the typical pattern of the disease allows us to make estimations. The expected levels based on knowledge of blood group distribution, the risk of sensitization from Rh incompatability, and the risk of perinatal mortality in births by sensitized mothers are compared with the observed levels. The results show that Rh disease was important for perinatal mortality and clustering of deaths within families.

[Hoogendoorn and the medical registry]. / Hoogendoorn en de medische registratie.

Dirk Hoogendoorn (1914-1990) was a solo general practitioner in the village of Wijhe (eastern part of the Netherlands) from 1941, during the time of the German occupation, until 1971. From the very beginning, he combined his practice with the recording of disease patterns. He first concentrated on infectious diseases, especially whooping cough, which was the subject of his doctoral thesis. He later set up registries in two regional hospitals. When his initiative expanded to a national organisation, he became its advisor. He nonetheless continued to produce statistics on a variety of disorders as well as on surgical procedures, even more so after his retirement. The subjects ranged from traffic accidents and tonsillectomies to the discrepancy between increased body height and the unchanging height of the tennis net, but he had the most affinity with the practice of obstetrics. He stirred up much emotion by showing that a decrease in perinatal mortality was proceeding slower in the Netherlands than in other European countries, especially by suggesting a causal relationship between this lag and the high rate of Dutch home deliveries. This debate has continued to this day.

Mortalidad perinatal: 40 años en un hospital distrital (1969-20089 / Perinatal mortalidad: 40 years in a county hopital (1969-2008)

Se estudia la evaluación y tendencia de la mortalidad perinatal, registrada en el Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Hospital "Dr. Adolfo Prince Lara", Departamento Clínico Integral de la Costa, Universidad de Carabobo, Puerto cabello-Estado Carabobo. Ocurrieron 130.977 nacimientos y 5.608 muertes perinatales, durante el lapso de 40 años (1969-2008). El número de muertes perinatales por lapso y su diferencia periódica, muestra una tendencia al aumento en los primeros 30 años (1969-1998), con una tasa de mortalidad perinatal elevada (entre 41 y 51 por mil nacidos) con tendencia al incremento. El lapso final de diez años (1999-2008), muestra un descenso en todas las cifras analizadas, la reducción de tasas fue de 5,74 por mil nacidos, con expresión porcentual de 13,76, y una tasa global promedio (1969-2008) de 41,36 por mil nacidos. Estos resultados nos señalan la realidad que en materia de salud hemos vivido, por lo tanto debemos analizar el servicio prestado con mucha responsabilidad. Se debera fortalecer actividades preventivas sanitarias de salud pública, elevar el estándar de vida de los pacientes, eventos que son responsabilidad del estado, a todo ello estamos dispuestos a acompañarlo

The evolution and trends of perinatal mortality were study in the Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Hospital "Dr. Adolfo Prince Lara", Departamento Clínico Integral de la Costa, Universidad de Carabobo. Puerto Cabello-Estado Carabobo. There were 130.977 births and 5.608 perinatal deaths registered during the period of 40 years (1969-2008). The number of perinatal deaths and the diference between regular periods, shows an increasing trend in the first 30 years (1969-1998), with a high perinatal mortality rate (between 41 and 51 per thousand births), with a tendency to increase. The final span of ten years (1999-2008), shows a decline in all figures analyzed, the reduction rate was 5.74 per thousand live births, with expression of 13.76 percent and the overall average (1969-2008) was 41.36 per thousand births. These results point to the fact that in health we have lived, so we must analyzed the service very seriously. There are health preventive public health standard of life of patients, and other events that are the responsibility of state, activities that we are willing to support

Peruvian contributions to the study on human reproduction at high altitude: from the chronicles of the Spanish conquest to the present.

Humans have lived in the Peruvian Andes for about 12,000 years providing adequate time for adaptation to high altitude to have occurred. The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century potentially altered this process through genetic admixture. Early records revealed a potential for reduced fertility and a high perinatal and neonatal mortality amongst the early Spanish inhabitants who settled at high altitude when compared to the native Inca population. It appears that fertility is reduced during acute exposure at high altitude but is normal in populations born and living at high altitude. On the other hand, perinatal and neonatal mortality is presently still high at elevated altitudes, even after taking into account socio-economic status. The rates of perinatal and neonatal mortality are, however, lower in populations that have resided at high altitude for longer; populations inhabiting the southern Andes have a longer antiquity at high altitude and lower rates of fetal and neonatal deaths than those in the central Andes with a shorter residence at high altitude. Clearly, antiquity and genetics are important components in determining survival and quality of life at high altitude.