Academic Journal
Mothers and Maternal Grandmothers Kept Children Alive During Slavery: Evidence From the Surinamese Slave Registers, 1830-1863.
| Τίτλος: | Mothers and Maternal Grandmothers Kept Children Alive During Slavery: Evidence From the Surinamese Slave Registers, 1830-1863. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Rosenbaum-Feldbrügge M; Radboud Group for Historical Demography and Family History, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands., Quanjer B; Radboud Group for Historical Demography and Family History, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands., Thompson K; Health & Society, Social Sciences Department, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands. |
| Πηγή: | Demography [Demography] 2026 Feb 01; Vol. 63 (1), pp. 111-136. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Historical Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Duke University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0226703 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1533-7790 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00703370 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Demography Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: 2021- : Durham, NC : Duke University Press Original Publication: Washington, etc., Population Assn. of America. |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Enslavement*/history , Enslavement*/statistics & numerical data , Child Mortality*/history , Mothers*/statistics & numerical data , Mothers*/history , Grandparents*, Suriname/epidemiology ; Humans ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Child ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Registries |
| Περίληψη: | Studies have shown strong relationships between the presence of kin and children's survival outcomes in historical and contemporary low-income contexts. However, this relationship has never been studied among an enslaved population, who encountered extremely harsh living conditions. Examining this relationship among different populations may reveal similarities and differences across contexts. The present study addresses this gap by examining the life courses of children born between 1830 and 1863 and enslaved in Suriname (n = 19,095 children) and their mothers. For the period 1848‒1863, we can also observe matrilineal kin, including grandmothers, aunts, and uncles (n = 12,020 children). The relationships of matrilineal kin's presence and children's hazard of death from ages 6 months to 12 years were analyzed with Cox proportional hazards models. Experiencing maternal death was related to an increased hazard of death for children throughout childhood, but particularly during infancy (ages 6 months to 1 year; hazard ratio: 6.24, 95% confidence interval: 3.34‒11.66), and it decreased as children aged. The presence of grandmothers was related to a decreased hazard of death among children aged 1‒5, and the presence of aunts and uncles was beneficial to survival for children aged 5‒12. Mothers were especially important to children's survival, particularly during infancy, likely due to the importance of maternal care and breastfeeding on survival. During childhood, however, it appears that the presence of extended kin was also important, implying that children's care could have been provided by other family members once children were weaned. These findings closely align with those of other studies and reflect the importance of extended kin networks on childhood survival across time and space. (Copyright © 2026 The Authors.) |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Child survival; Cox proportional hazards; Life course; Maternal mortality; Slavery |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260206 Date Completed: 20260707 Latest Revision: 20260707 |
| Update Code: | 20260707 |
| DOI: | 10.1215/00703370-12446726 |
| PMID: | 41645640 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1533-7790 |
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| DOI: | 10.1215/00703370-12446726 |