Birth Weight In Israel, 1968–70 I. Effects of Birth Order and Maternal Origin

Abstract

SummaryAn analysis of 96% of Israeli live births, 1968–70, gives a mean birth weight of 3299 ± 543 g with 5·7% weighing less than 2500 g. The mean values increased from 3193 ± 510 g for first born to 3469 ± 604 g for tenth and subsequent births.There were significant differences between the mean birth weights, adjusted for birth order, of the different ethnic-origin groups. Infants of Jewish immigrants from North African countries weighed 3356 g followed by Christian Arabs (3337 g), Israeli-born Jews (3310 g), immigrants from Western countries (3303 g), Moslem Arabs (3251 g), Druze (3244 g) and immigrants from countries of Asia (3223 g).For the Jewish groups, the differences were diminished in the second generation of Israeli-born but those descended from Asian immigrants continued to be the lighter group.In order to determine the extent to which these differences are truly ‘ethnic’ further analyses of more homogeneous groups will be necessary taking into account a number of other demographic and socio-economic variables. (Summary in Hebrew, p. 58.)

The Jerusalem Perinatal Study cohort, 1964–2005: methods and a review of the main results

“…The distribution of birthweight was similar to that in other Caucasian populations (Table 3) although some determinants of birthweight differed from other studies. The proportion of live births born before 37 weeks was 7.9%; mean birthweight was 3217 g, and 6.6% of live births weighed <2500 g. An earlier report suggested unusually high birthweights in offspring of immigrants from North Africa 60 . This was confirmed in the Jerusalem cohort and shown to be independent of maternal height, pre‐pregnant relative weight, parity or social class, 10,23 but related to the mother's age at immigration to Israel, suggesting that some environmental difference between Israel and the country of origin during the mother's early life was affecting birthweight of her offspring 22 .…”

Transmission through the female line of a mechanism constraining human fetal growth

“…Infants born to immigrants from North African countries were heavier, and those from Asian countries lighter than the mean birthweight of second and third generation Israeli-born. 26 The maternal, but not the paternal, country of origin was the important factor influencing these findings. 27 Analyses of birth weights of second and subsequent generations of Israeli-born by origin of their grandparents showed a regression towards the mean, with those of African descent falling and those of Asian descent rising.…”

Birth Weight in Israel, 1968–70

“…It is not surprising therefore that the origin of the father could not be demonstrated to influence birth weight except for those cases, such as infants of immigrants from Yemen and India, where the immigrants had been small and malnourished. The decrease in the differences between the birth weights of second and subsequent generations of Israeli-born (Grossman et al, 1974) further emphasizes the importance of environmental factors (Davies, 1972).…”

“…Adjustment for birth order was made according to the distribution of the entire study population as in the previous paper (Grossman et al, 1974).…”

“…Birth weight in Israel is profoundly affected by the country of origin of the mother (Grossman, Handlesman & Davies, 1974). Infants born to mothers coming from North African countries were significantly heavier than expected while those of immigrants from Asian countries were lighter.…”