Body Length and Weight at Birth and One Year of Age in Different Communities in Israel

Summary A comparative study of body length and weight a t birth and at one year of age, comprising 563 full term infants belonging to different communities in Israel, is presented. The communities included in the study originated in the following geographical areas: Eastern and Western Europe. Iraq and Iran, North Africa. Yemen, and Israel (including both native born Jews adn Arabs). The analysed data lead to the following conclusions: 1. Mean birth weight in all communities ranged between 3135-3468 g (males—3138–3468; females—3135–3333 g). The Yemenite infants were lighter than the rest. 2. There is no significant difference in the mean birth length among the various groups, ranging between 49.7–50.9 cm with a tendency for the girls to be shorter (49.7 to 50.5 cm, as compared to males, from 50.0 to 50.9 em). 3. Mean weight and length a t one year of age differs in the various ethnic groups. The mean weight in the various groups ranged between 8653 g to 10313 g in males, and between 7990 to 10,632 g in females. The mean body length in males ranged between 72.7 to 76.3 cm, in females between 70.0 to 75.2 cm. The infants of the North African and Iraqi origin are the tallest, followed, in a decreasing order, by the Eastern and Westera Europeans, Yemenites and Arabs respectively. 4. A significant correlation between parental height and the infant's length was found at one year of age in all communities besides the Yemenites. The effect of the father's height is greater than that of the mother. The effect of the parental height is most pronounced in the North African group. 5. The study stresses the necessity of performing a cross-sectional and longitudinal study in the various communities in order to assess normal growth in this heterogenic population.