Height and the disease environment of children: The association between mortality and height in the Netherlands 1850–1940

Abstract Height and infant mortality are both considered health indicators of a population, yet they tend to be much more strongly correlated in high‐income, low‐mortality populations. This article shows that infant deaths are not representative of the health of survivors as it relates to height because breastfeeding practices shield them from part of the disease environment. Instead, child mortality rates, especially from food and waterborne diseases, capture the disease load that is associated with lower heights better. The period of this study is 1850–1940, with a focus on 1875–1900, as the... Mehr ...