Reported Congenital Malformations in New York City, 1958-1959

Hypothesis: anencephaly and spina bifida are usually preventable by avoidance of a specific but unidentified substance present in certain potato tubers.

“…In fact, American Negroes have lower incidences than Whites in the same region despite lower average incomes (Erhardt and Nelson, 1964;Cassady, 1969). Penrose (1957; quoting Khan) and Stevenson et al (1966) show just the same for the Bantu in South Africa, and Howie and Phillips (1970) show it for the Maori in New Zealand.…”

Major central nervous system malformations in South Wales. I. Incidence, local variations and geographical factors.

“…Those from New York by Gittelsohn and Milham (1962) and Erhardt and Nelson (1964) based on birth certificates with recording of malformations present are also likely to be inaccurate and incomplete. Those from Belfast (Stevenson and Warnock, 1959), Liverpool (Smithells, 1967), Southampton (Williamson, 1965), and the several smaller series from Exeter (Ward and Irvine, 1961), Leicester (Moss, 1964), Northamptonshire (Pleydell, 1960), and Reading (Griffin and Sorrie, 1964) amongst others are based like the South Wales investigation on population surveys, and the figures can therefore be compared.…”

Congenital malformations in Israel.

“…Our rate is possibly a little lower because anatomical examinations are not always performed on stillborn infants and on those who die in the first few days. Generally, however, some studies have shown lower rates (Poole, 1960, Erhardt and Nelson, 1964, Gentry, Parkhurst, and Bulin, 1959) and others higher rates (Worcester, 1953;Windorfer, 1961).…”

“…The positive association between the age of the mother and the incidence of mongolism is well known, although the exact mechanism behind it is not clear (Erhardt and Nelson, 1964;Worcester, 1953;Milham and Gittelsohn, 1965;J. Amer.…”