ABSTRACT
The decline in infant mortality in western countries has been attributed to different factors, including improved socioeconomic status, housing, water and sanitation, and nutrition, and medical factors such as immunization, antibiotics, and better prenatal care and delivery. This chapter aims to analyze social differentials in the decline of infant mortality in Sweden, the role of politics, and the potential impact of specific welfare state interventions (including social, economic, and health policy) in reducing mortality differentials. In the beginning and middle of the 20th century there were considerable social and geographic differentials in infant mortality. Therefore, analyses of the impact of a specific policy on the decline of infant mortality must bear in mind which policies might be relevant at what level of mortality. In the first decades of the 20th century, the overall birth rate in Sweden declined, particularly in Stockholm, and contributed to the decline in infant mortality.
