Ultimate Context of the Termination of Parental Investment

This paper investigates the ultimate socioeconomic causes underlying the termination of parental investment in humans by analyzing the relationship between socioeconomic status and various forms of child mortality, including live births, stillbirths, infant deaths, and infanticide. Utilizing theoretical foundations from human behavioral ecology, the study illustrates how different forms of termination of parental investment can be viewed as points along a continuum of adaptive strategies aimed at optimizing reproductive fitness. The research emphasizes that technical and cognitive limitations lead to many instances of infanticide being concealed as natural child deaths, such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), thus complicating the accurate detection of true causes of death. However, addressing common ultimate causes—specifically socioeconomic factors such as healthcare accessibility, nutritional quality, social support, and stress reduction—can simultaneously prevent or reduce all forms of investment termination. The paper further analyzes demographic data from Zagreb and surrounding municipalities. Ultimately, the study advocates a holistic approach to public health interventions and policies aimed at improving socioeconomic conditions as a crucial step toward reducing all forms of child mortality.