MovieChat Forums > Amish Grace (2010) Discussion > High rate of childhood death

High rate of childhood death


From what I have read and seen, the amish have a high rate of childhood death. Their graveyard have a high number of children's tombstones. They also have a high rate of genetic defects because of what is called the "founder effect".

In this movie, the parents are extremely sad and crying but aren't they used to children dying in their community?

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Someone dying of illness vs. someone dying from being gunned down are two completely different things.

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Sounds more like incest effect. With such limited populations they will eventually end up breeding with relatives.





- Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.

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It is against Amish religion to have health insurance. Similar to Republicans, for whom it is against their religion for the poor to have health insurance.

If you put me on ignore, then how can I notify you when I win the lottery?

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The amish community are ALL related in one way or another. It started when they came over from Germany in the 18th century. All that intermarriage, caused the descendants to carry recessive genes and markers. There is among them a specific condition called Maple Syrup Urine syndrome. All this means is that protein is poison to them.

Children have to be tested to see if they have this condition. If they do they have to be on a low protein diet.

Some Amish men got together and did an interview and they hired a geneticist and the man found out all about the recessive genes. Since it's forbidden to marry outsiders, this is NOT going to get better nor will it change.

And when the men were questioned (after they found out about the genes and the markers in their dna), the man was asked "Now that you know this, will you have genetic testing before you marry an Amish woman?"

The man replied "No I will not, this is all God's Will".

Yeah right.

So expect more sick mentally retarted children down the line. These people do not question anything. They will probably die out because they have no healthy stock in their families.

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It seemed like a return to the high mortality rates of the 19th century and further back. It's very difficult to fathom how they want to live in communities like that now. But I suppose they have some prizes that we can't attain.

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