The wonder is that anyone survived childbirth. For a really gruesome review of THAT subject, see Brought to Bed: Childbearing in America,1750-1950 by Judith Walzer Leavitt. The number of things that frequently went wrong in the birth process that could affect a child's ability to thrive was, frankly, more than I could handle.  Kay 

Thank you for that book recommendation! Michele -----Original Message----- From: transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Katherine Rudolph Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 12:50 PM To: transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [TGF] Why kids died The wonder is that anyone survived childbirth. For a really gruesome review of THAT subject, see Brought to Bed: Childbearing in America,1750-1950 by Judith Walzer Leavitt. The number of things that frequently went wrong in the birth process that could affect a child's ability to thrive was, frankly, more than I could handle. Kay The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list.