[Patterns of infant mortality in the Alpine region]

The evidence presented in this article shows that from the mid-18th century up to the early 20th century babies and young children tended to have a more favorable mortality experience in the upland regions of the Alpine crescent than in the adjacent hilly and flat areas. Although several explanations have been advanced, most scholars are inclined to believe that the lower levels of infant mortality displayed by the Alpine area were primarily accounted for by climatic and other environmental factors, which made infants less vulnerable to bronchial and pulmonary disease and lessened the risk of gastro-intestinal disorders. The available evidence also shows, however, that broad differences can be detected across major regional subdivions, infant mortality rates being markedly higher in the Austrian Alps than in the rest of the Alpine area. such differences appear to be mainly related to regional variations in infant feeding habits. Some specific features of Alpine seasonal patterns of infant mortality are also discussed. This article ends up with a tentative outline of long-term trends in Alpine infant mortality from the poorly recorded period before 1750 up to the 1950s.