Article ID: CBB799371761

Saving newborns, defining livebirth: The struggle to reduce infant mortality in East-Central Europe in comparative and transnational perspectives, 1945–1965 (2024)

unapi

After World War II, infant mortality rates started dropping steeply. We show how this was accomplished in socialist countries in East-Central Europe. Focusing on the two postwar decades, we explore comparatively how medical experts in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany saved fragile newborns. Based on an analysis of medical journals, we argue that the Soviet Union and its medical practices had only a marginal influence; the four countries followed the recommendations of the World Health Organization instead, despite not being members. Importantly, we analyze the expert clashes over definitions of livebirth, which impact infant mortality statistics. We analyze the divergent practices and negotiations between countries: since the infant mortality rate came to represent the level of socioeconomic advancement, its political significance was paramount. Analyzing the struggle to reduce infant mortality thus helps us understand how socialist countries positioned themselves within the transnational framework while being members of the “socialist bloc.”

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Authors & Contributors
Kateřina Lišková
Ash, Mitchell G.
Bhattacharya, Sanjoy
Durnová, Helena
Dzhalilov, D. A.
Kaasch, Joachim
Journals
Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences
Cold War History
Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte
História, Ciências, Saúde---Manguinhos
IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences
Publishers
World Health Organization (WHO)
Bloomsbury Publishing
Hurst
Vanderbilt University Press
Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung
Springer International Publishing
Concepts
Science and politics
Medicine and politics
Science and government
Psychology
Post-communism
Cross-national interaction
People
Herrmann, Joachim
Hensel, Witold
Twardowski, Kazimierz (1866–1938)
Time Periods
20th century, late
21st century
20th century
Places
Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia
Poland
East Germany
Hungary
Central Europe
Institutions
World Health Organization (WHO)
Charles University
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