Daily AncestorInfantile paralysis
Infantile paralysis was the common name for polio, a viral infection that could paralyze or kill, mostly striking young children.
Infantile paralysis was the everyday name for poliomyelitis, or polio, because it so often struck young children. The virus can damage nerves in the spinal cord, leaving limbs paralyzed.
Before 1900, most cases were in children between six months and four years old. As sanitation improved in the 1900s, older children and adults were struck more often. Deaths came when the paralysis reached the muscles used for breathing.
As seen in a recordCause of death line on an early 1900s death certificate
Cause of death: Infantile paralysis. Duration: 5 days.
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Daily Ancestor. "Infantile paralysis." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/infantile-paralysis. Last checked 2026-10-01.