Congenital Heart Disease among the Hutterite Brethren

Abstract

A FAMILY with four cases of tetralogy of Fallot was found in a distinct ethnic group, the Hutterite Brethren of North America. The customs and background of this religious sect provide an ideal population for retrospective and prospective genetic studies.The Hutterite Brethren1The Hutterite Brethren, located in agricultural colonies in the Great Plains states and Canadian provinces, originated in South Germany and the Tyrol about 1528. This is a communal movement with roots in the Anabaptist movement of the Reformation. The history is one of persecution because of religious and social beliefs and frequent migrations to more favorable political . . .