Birth weight of North American Indians.

Abstract

THE major racial and ethnic groups have a characteristic distribution of birthweight (Comas, 1960). The uniqueness of these distributions is undoubtedly due to both genetic and environmetal factors. However, several studies of siblings (Kara, et al., 1951), cousins (Robson, 1955) and consanguineous matings (Morton, 1955) have found little evidence of a major genetic component. Thus, by exclusion, maternal factors have been implicated. The present study reports as large a range of mean birthweight between various North American Indian tribes as has previously been reported between major racial groups. The diversity in birth weight corresponds closely to the adult stature of the various tribes and both are apparently correlated with the food procurement and utilization habits of the various tribal groups.