Think Everyone Died Young in Ancient Societies? Think Again
18th July 2018
There’s a thought for you: What would our child mortality rate look like if we were honest and included all of the aborted babies? What would that do to our life expectancy figures?
July 19th, 2018 at 12:36
I have compared estimated stillbirth + abortion numbers (excluding miscarriages) in the country of Malawi, Africa, and in the United States.
TL;DR:
Malawi
total percentage of fetal deaths (excluding miscarriages) per all pregnancies
~ 10%
US
total percentage of fetal deaths (excluding miscarriages) per all pregnancies
~ 20%
===
Malawi population
~ 19,000,000
Malawi birth rate
~ 41 births/1,000 population
~ 780,000 births per year
Malawi
stillbirths (spontaneous fetal mortality past 20 weeks’ gestation) per 1000 total births (UNICEF)
NOTE: This is an estimate; possible misclassifications of “born live, died soon” and reported stillbirths (fetus born dead)
~ 22
~ 2.2% per total births
~ 17,000 stillbirths per year
Malawi
Abortion is illegal in Malawi
(illegal) induced abortions (estimate for 2009) [see note 1, below]
~ 67,000
Malawi
total stillbirth/abortion per year
~ 84,000
Malawi
total percentage of fetal deaths (excluding miscarriages) per all pregnancies
(using ~ 67,000 unreported abortions + ~ 780,000 births per year)
~ 10%
===
US population
~ 330,000,000
US birth rate
12.2 births/1,000 population
~ 4,000,000 births per year
US
stillbirths (spontaneous fetal mortality past 20 weeks’ gestation) per 1000 total births (CDC)
~ 10
~ 1% per total births
~ 40,000 stillbirths per year
US
induced abortions in 2014 (Guttmacher Institute)
~ 926,000
US
total stillbirth/abortion per year
~ 966,000
US
total percentage of fetal deaths (excluding miscarriages) per all pregnancies
(using ~ 926,000 estimated abortions + ~ 4,000,000 births per year)
~ 20%
===
Reference
[1] Estimate of induced abortions in Malawi: (International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2013, 39(2):88-96, doi: 10.1363/3908813)
“Approximately 18,700 women in Malawi were treated in health facilities for complications of induced abortion in 2009. An estimated 67,300 induced abortions were performed, equivalent to a rate of 23 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 and an abortion ratio of 12 per 100 live births.”