Health Costs of Childbirth

James C. Riley, Indiana University

Do childbirths abridge the health or survival of the mothers? In this paper data is used from the adult-life long health histories of members of four friendly societies operating in England and Wales in the period 1800-1930. This to explore whether women who gave birth to children suffered lasting or deferred effects in health or survival. The women in the study include mothers and non mothers, which makes it possible to contrast experience in the two groups. Preliminary investigation suggests that women with few or many births experienced little lasting health damage, and that damage was concentrated among women who gave birth to 4-6 children.