Burðarvektir í Føroyum 1969-1981

Abstract

Birthweights in the Faroes 1969-81.

The average birth weight of 10132 live-born infants delivered in the Faroes during the period 1969-1981 was 3610 g, which is the highest average weight reported by 33 countries. For several reasons birth weights in the Faroes and in Demark are highly comparable. The frequency of birth weights lower than 2501 g is 1.7 times greater in Denmark than in the Faroes, whereas the frequency of weights higher than 4500 g is 3.0 times greater in the Faroes. The Faroese average birth weight is 230 g higher than the Danish average, reflecting a displacement of at least 225 g in all weight groups. Standardizations with respect to maternal age, marital status and the number of previous pregnancies does not change the difference between the two
populations' averages significantly. A less active elective delivery in the Faroes was not explanatory. There was not any difference in the sex ratio of newborn infants or in the frequency of twins in the two countries, and the prevalence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the Faroes is half that in Denmark. Other reasons must be responsible and both environmental
and genetic factors may be involved.