Daily AncestorInfantile debility
Infantile debility, or congenital debility, meant a baby born too weak to live, often premature, with no other disease named on the record.
Debility meant weakness or feebleness. When the word was applied to a newborn, it usually meant the baby was small and weak from birth rather than ill with a named disease.
IPUMS codes premature birth and infantile debility together in its scheme for the 1850 to 1880 mortality schedules.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Infant of Jno. Wirt, 3 days, Infantile debility
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Infantile debility." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/infantile-debility. Last checked 2026-10-10.