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Mothers, Babies, and the Colonial State: The Introduction of Maternal and Infant Welfare Services in Nigeria, 1925-1945

Tol, Deanne van (2007) Mothers, Babies, and the Colonial State: The Introduction of Maternal and Infant Welfare Services in Nigeria, 1925-1945. Spontaneous Generations: A Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science, 1 (1). ISSN 1913-0465

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Abstract

At the beginning of the twentieth century the high mortality rates of both mothers and babies during childbirth became a predominant concern in Britain and its empire, provoking outcries from medical and nursing professionals as well as politicians and the wider public. Infant mortality became the new marker of the vitality of the nation and a widely used indicator of general standards of health. Efforts to improve maternal and infant welfare were part of a broader shift in Britain towards public health as a government responsibility. Measures taken to reduce mortality rates emphasized state-run initiatives in maternal education and antenatal care, the medicalization of childbirth, and scientific infant feeding and childrearing practices (Fildes, Marks and Marland 1992; Lewis 1980; Marks 1996; Davin 1997). This shift in health care policies resulted in profound changes to the experience of childbirth and to the role of the state in the area of social welfare...


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Item Type: Published Article or Volume
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Tol, Deanne van
Keywords: Scientific Realism; Epistemic Issues; Epistemology of Science
Subjects: General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
General Issues > Science and Society
General Issues > Technology
General Issues > Values In Science
Depositing User: Jordan Miller
Date Deposited: 12 Sep 2021 03:38
Last Modified: 12 Sep 2021 03:38
Item ID: 17976
Journal or Publication Title: Spontaneous Generations: A Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science
Publisher: The University of Toronto
Official URL: https://spontaneousgenerations.library.utoronto.ca...
DOI or Unique Handle: 10.4245/sponge.v1i1.1761
Subjects: General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
General Issues > Science and Society
General Issues > Technology
General Issues > Values In Science
Date: 8 December 2007
Volume: 1
Number: 1
ISSN: 1913-0465
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/17976

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