Skip to main content


Childhood mortality -- death before age 15 or so -- used to run at about 50%.

Every second child born, died before becoming an adult, all over the world, for as far back as we've been able to track.

We didn't turn the corner until about 1900, when science got us the germ theory. That sparked sanitation and vaccination.

A cabinet nominee (RFK Jr) who questions vaccines is frightening. A nominee who brags about not washing his hands (Hegseth) is terrifying.

This entry was edited (7 hours ago)
in reply to Jennifer Hamilton, MD PhD

Despite trying to force women to have morre children, Republicans actually hate kids.

Almost every GOP policy worsens the lives of children. Republicans deliberately vote for "punish the poor" public policy.

School lunch debt
Medicare reductions
Antivaxxer
Expired child tax credits
Teen pregnancy
Child marriage
Child labor
Birthright citizenship
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

washingtonpost.com/opinions/20…

theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

Nicole Parsons reshared this.

in reply to Nicole Parsons

@Npars01

It's hard to support children's lives and children's health across the board while subscribing to the "Great Replacement" idea. Current proposals seem to try to increase the birth rate across the board, deport the people they deem undesirable, and only provide health care and nutrition for the ones they like. This won't work -- public health exists in part because the powerful a few generations ago were realizing their kids died too -- but some people aren't bothered by facts.

Nicole Parsons reshared this.

in reply to Jennifer Hamilton, MD PhD

First of all "Right On!" 👍

I've been researching Diphtheria mortality in the US around the year 1900 for a book project. Not much data from the US but the UK data are there for death before age 5, all causes. I could find nothing more specific.

My medical family started with Dr. Willam A. Rohlf who graduated in 1891 from the original med school in Iowa City. He wrote a book late in life about his experiences. I put it up on the web in the 1990s.

He goes into much detail about diphtheria, the (then) new antitoxin, and treating the disease with it.

FYI to all who might be interested...

gmd.rathe.org/chapt10.html

gmd.rathe.org/chapt14.html

gmd.rathe.org/chapt15.html

It is a TERRIBLE disease!! And it is still out there in the world...

#Diphtheria #Vaccination #Antitoxin #History #Iowa