[gleeaikin]

An average of 23 deaths a year seems excessive. I wonder how many people were housed there at one time? Was infanticide considered preferable to abortion? It will be interesting to see what the inquiry shows.

[narses]

“An average of 23 deaths a year seems excessive.”

Really? Based on what data?

[narses]

This would reflect an Ireland that, in the first half of the 20th century, had one of the worst infant mortality rates in Europe, with tuberculosis rife. - See more at: http://www.shepherdstownchronicle.com/page/content.detail/id/517531/Irish-church-under-fire-over-children-s-mass-grave.html?isap=1&nav=5134#sthash.kdeb4zsP.hsOcOl2C.dpuf

[tiki]

It actually isn’t. Life expectancy was probably about 50 at the time and pregnancy and early infancy is dangerous. Back in the day mothers were relieved when their child reached their first birthday because infancy was the dangerous time of life.

There was measles and mumps and chicken pox. Influenza, polio, no antibiotics, no incubators, maybe even no doctors, just midwives.

People try to fit history into the present and it just doesn’t fit. My parents each lost sisters who died in childhood. 2 aunts lost infants.

Many of those bodies could have been miscarriages they would surely have buried those children too. Miscarriages still happen frequently today so just think how prevalent they were back then with less medical care and bad nutrition, not to mention the stress the women were under from being pregnant and unmarried.

It was, after all, a home for unwed mothers.