This paper is focused on two issues. Firstly, to what extent can we explain the observed mortality decline and secondly, can we attribute the observed chinese advantage to demographic or behavioural factors?

Using data form a nationally representative sample of more than 12,000births, this study assesses infant and child mortality differences in Cameroon by residence area, mother's education, ethnicity, marital status and union type, religion and inteplay of those factorson differentials mortality.

Recall bias is a pervasive problem in the analysis of retrospective data (Shyrock et al., 1973; Ewbank, 1981). The problem is a recurrent concernin the litterature on the determinants of breastfeeding duration, its trend over time, and the effect of breastfeeding on infant mortality.

Both men and women appear to benefit from being married. This article uses data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine the extent to which three key factors- financial well-being, living arrangements and marital history - account for this relationship.