The influence of maternal education on infant and child mortality in Bangladesh

Abstract

An anthropological approach, using survey, case study and historical data examines the effect of maternal education on infant survival and child mortality in Bangladesh. The study focuses on the recent shift in the meaning of education, the psychological, social and economic changes effected by the education of women, and the implications these may have for the survival of infants and children, as well as for education women themselves. The study demonstrates also that health behaviours may change in the absence of a shift in previously held theories of disease causation. The findings lead to the formulation of thirteen questions that could be investigated further by epidemiologists.