Historical abandonment of children in the Azores, Portugal.

Smith, Malcolm; Lima, Manuela

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/970

Use this identifier to reference this record.

Name:	Description:	Size:	Format:
Historical abandonment of children in the Azores, Portugal.pdf		2.82 MB	Adobe PDF	Download

Send Feedback

Authors

Smith, Malcolm

Lima, Manuela

Abstract(s)

Data from the period 1779-1828 were extracted from the books recording the entry and subsequent fate of babies abandoned in the Roda in the town of Horta on the island of Faial, Azores. The numbers of babies abandoned increased throughout the period, and their survival rate fluctuated markedly, with a low of under 10% in 1809 to a high of almost 50% in 1813. Overall, just over half the babies abandoned had died within the first year, and over 60% had died within two years. There is no differential abandonment or survival between the sexes. The seasonality of abandonment shows a peak in the first four months of the year, with a decline during the summer months. By contrast, deaths are most frequent in July and August, with another peak in the last quarter of the year. These Azorean data are consistent with the general pattern observed in Southern Europe, but offer some special opportunities to study the variation in nursing performance and the subsequent life-histories of expostos.