Why were the Others going extinct?

Sickness is a constant Lostian theme, more frequently alluded to than nearly anything but the clash of destiny and free will or the ill effects of bad dads. Danielle mutters about losing her crew to the sickness. Claire is convinced that sickness has attacked Aaron. Desmond, and Inman (and presumably Radzinsky) stow themselves in the Hatch for years, dutifully injecting vaccine to avoid the sickness. And now, Sayid and Claire have apparently succumbed to a sickness that has 'reached their hearts'. Still, there's one prominent sickness on the show, that's actually been, y'know a sickness.


At some point after 1977, those women whose fetus was conceived on the island died, as did their undelivered infant, at some point in the 3rd trimester. That Ben decided modern science was the answer to the problem, and thus brought Juliet to the island is, in retrospect, surprising. Ben knew quite well that the Island's effects on human health was, basically, magical. That he considered it possible that science might trump the island spirit's whims is questionable. He very well may have brought Juliet to assuage the fears of the lower ranks of the Others, who perhaps were not quite initiated into the Island mysteries and retained a dependence upon science and reason to explore the unknown.

But...perhaps Juliet's name was on one of the Richard Alpert couriered 'slips of paper' that Jacob sent on over Ben's way. Maybe Jacob wanted her to come because he thought, maybe, she might be so gifted as to thwart the sickness afflicting his devout followers. It all kind of depends on who (and there are really only two choices) was responsible for the illness.

I've seen Jacob suggested as the illness's cause on several forums, but to me, it just doesn't seem like Jacob's style. The guy hardly ever actually 'makes' something happen, he cajoles, suggests, requests, and manipulates others into positions where they are presented with a choice of either a.) do the thing Jacob wants or b.)do the opposite of the thing Jacob wants. Like in Dr. Linus, when Flocke waves a hand and Ben's ankle manacle just falls open...I couldn't see Jacob intervening in things so directly. So my prediction is that the MiB is directly responsible for the baby plague. Why? Well, let's look at what the presence of the illness led to:

1. Juliet came to the Island
2. The Others (maybe) had to recruit more heavily off-Island.
3. Ben becomes the girfriend's-dad-from-hell for poor Karl.
4. The Others (likely) became progressively more male-biased.

I really don't see a pattern here. But I still believe MiB's responsible.

And, Lost has officially identified the statue as 'Tawaret', the Egyptian deity of childbirth and fertility. It's all connected. Somehow.

THE PREGNANCY SICKNESS DOSSIER: QUESTIONS:

1. Why did pregnant women and their children die before coming to term starting some time after 1977?

2. Who's responsible?

3. Does the Island connection to Tawaret have something to do with the sickness?