Tracking the Second Epidemiologic Transition Using Bioarchaeological Data on Infant Morbidity and Mortality

• Published in: Modern Environments and Human Health pp. 225 - 241
• Main Author: Perry, Megan A
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford John Wiley & Sons, Inc 14.05.2014
• Subjects: bioarchaeological data; infant morbidity; infant mortality; Omran; second epidemiologic transition; skeletal data
• ISBN: 1118504208; 9781118504208
• DOI: 10.1002/9781118504338.ch12

The second epidemiologic transition is a historically contextualized version of Omran's original model of the shift in mortality, fertility, and morbidity that purportedly occurred with industrialization. Identifying the hallmarks of an epidemiologic transition from archaeological infant skeletal remains is fraught with issues related to sampling bias and methodology. This chapter explains how to identify individuals within the skeletal record who would have been considered infants within this historical context. Next, it outlines the trials and tribulations—and successes—in understanding mortality and morbidity in infants. The chapter uses skeletal data from medieval and industrial London on infants up to 1 year of age to illuminate infant morbidity and mortality rates up until the purported late‐19th century epidemiologic shift to provide context for Omran's model. These data show that Omran oversimplified the pretransition state of populations in England, who may have experienced lower‐than‐expected infant morbidity and mortality before the purported transition.