Witchcraft-explained childhood tragedies in Tlaxcala, and their medical sequelae.
This paper describes results of a study in Tlaxcala, Mexico, involving the sudden death of infants and children that culturally are explained as resulting from the attack of blood-sucking witches. The attacks of the supernaturals are relatively common occurrences and an elaborate ideology has evolved to explain them. Such an ideology serves to explain what constitutes a major trauma of loss and supernatural assault. Data on a total of 47 cases were collected prospectively. The illness experiences of the parents following these traumas were recorded and their nature and consequences analyzed. The results of the study provide a 'folk medical' epidemiology of sudden infant death, a well identified cultural-ecological stressor. Ideas from cultural, psychological and medical anthropology as well as general medicine and psychiatry are used in the interpretation of the results.
Fabrega
H
H
Department of Psychiatry and Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, PA 15212.
Nutini
H
H
D000328:Adult; D001601:Bereavement; D002648:Child; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000208:ethnology*; D005192:Family Health / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005495:Folklore; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008273:Magic; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000208:ethnology