Centuries of child labor left lasting spinal damage in Dutch children, study finds

Children in the postmedieval Dutch workforce worked so hard that their spines became worn and deformed, with some children affected before they even had a chance to lose their baby teeth, a new study published in the International Journal of Paleopathology finds.

Researchers examined the backs of Dutch children ages 4–25 who lived between the 1600s and 1800s. They found worn-down spinal joints, bony lips growing on the edges of vertebrae and dents in the discs cushioning the spine—signs modern doctors typically associate with old age and years of grueling physical work, not elementary school-age children.