Hanashima, Makoto

Higami, Emiko

Tomobe, Kenichi

The average infant mortality rate (IMR) was 155.4 in rural areas in Japan, and IMR in Osaka city was 231.6 during 1906 to 1910. The outstanding level of IMR in Osaka city might have been influenced by somewhat negative urban factors, which we can call the “urban penalty.” Dr. Hiroshi Maruyama discovered the α-index in 1938. The α-index represents infant mortality number divided by neonatal mortality number. After all, Maruyama set one month after birth as a boundary to divide endogenous and exogenous. The α-index shows a qualitative measure of infant mortality. Post neonatal mortality was increased due to acquired diseases such as diarrhea, pneumonia and beriberi. This shows that the effect of the urban penalty was raising the α-index . The α-index of the industrial zones shows that bad maternal conditions affected endogenous factors. Most mothers suffered from a deficiency of breastfeeding capability. The first reason was anemia. The second reason was mothers’ ignorance about breastfeeding. The third reason was mother’s illnesses. They had to rely on bottlefeeding without any knowledge to handle artificial milk. Those babies often died from diarrhea or pneumonia

Osaka University Knowledge Archive

Urban laboring poor against Infant Mortality at Osaka city of the early 20th century : Who saved babies?

http://www2.econ.osaka-u.ac.jp/library/global/dp/1330.pdf

Urban laboring poor against Infant Mortality at Osaka city of the early 20th century : Who saved babies?

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