Early childhood, the critical stage in human interactions with disease and culture

Corinne Shear Wood

Social Science & Medicine, 1983, vol. 17, issue 2, 79-85

Abstract: This paper examines the continuous interactions between evolving Homo sapiens and the multiple health-related factors that significantly have shaped the course of human evolution. Early childhood, particularly the precarious post-weaning stage, is seen to be the most critical period determining survival in disease confrontations. Selection for the fundamental biological defenses predated human emergence; however, human cultures add a significant dimension to disease patterns. Specific configurations of disease are intimately related to human economies, social structure and political interactions as well as macro- and micro- environmental factors.

Date: 1983
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