Section 15 — Human Genetics 



with 1820 children, selected for completed re- 

 production (wife age 40 or over), complete 

 birth weight information was secured for 1715 

 children. Tests performed on the parents of these 

 children included blood type determinations 

 for the ABO, MN, Rh, P, K, and Fy a systems 

 and secretor status for ABH blood group sub- 

 stance. Birth weights for all children were as 

 reported by the parents. 



Since the usual weight differential for the 

 two sexes (892 males, 823 females) was found 

 (P<;0.001), all analyses were performed on male 

 and female children separately. The following 

 significant effects were noted for male children 

 only, after correcting for the effect of parity: 

 (1) paternal main effects: (a) ABO (P<0.025)- 

 type B fathers have heavier sons, type A fathers 

 have lighter sons ; (b) MN (/ > <0.05)— type N 

 fathers have heaviest sons with M and MN 

 fathers following in that order; and (c) Rh 

 CP<0.005) — the paternal gene r seems to con- 

 tribute most to an increase in birth weight, 

 while the R 2 gene seems to be associated with 

 a below average weight, and (2) maternal main 

 effects: confined to the Kell system (P<0.05)— 

 Kell positive mothers have heavier sons than 

 Kell negative mothers. Probability values of 

 5 per cent may be subject to some uncertainty 

 in view of the number of tests of significance 

 performed. 



The data for female children are being analyz- 

 ed and will also be presented. 



Supported in part by U.S.P.H. Grant H-4145 

 from the National Institutes of Health and in 

 part by AEC Grant AT (11-1) 405. 



15.36. A Study of Seven Blood Group Systems in 

 Sterility and Child Mortality. T. Edward 

 Reed, Henry Gershowitz, and Atmaram 

 Soni (Ann Arbor, U.S.A.). 



A sample of 742 married couples, the wife 

 being 40 or more years of age, from a town in 

 Michigan, U.S.A., was studied. All couples were 

 of European ancestry and the only selection was 

 for willingness to cooperate. For each couple a 

 personal, social and reproductive history was 

 obtained and blood group phenotypes in the 

 ABO, Rh, MN, Kell, P, and Duffy systems, as 

 well as ABH secretion, were determined. The 

 results for two reproductive indicators, (1) 

 proportion of couples (first marriages, married 

 for 10 or more years) who were sterile, and (2) 

 proportion of liveborn children born to these 



couples who died non-accidentally under 5 years 

 of age, are reported here. 



Two-way analysis of variance (husband's 

 group one way, wife's group the other) for each 

 of the 14 blood group-indicator combinations 

 yielded the following significant items — Sterility 

 analysis: MN group of the wife (P <0.005, N 

 women most sterile), Kell group of the wife 

 (P <0.025, Kell + wives most sterile); Child 

 mortality analysis: ABO group of father {P <] 

 0.001, O fathers highest), P group of mother 

 (P <0.005, P— mothers highest), P group of 

 father (P <0.05, P— fathers highest), Rh group 

 of mother (P <^0.05, R1R2 mothers highest), and 

 MN group of couple (P < 0.05, interaction 

 item). 



This research was supported by a grant from 

 the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. A com- 

 plete report of this study will be submitted to the 

 American Journal of Human Genetics. 



15.37. (F). Teratology. P. H. Saldanha (Sao Paulo, 

 Brazil). 



1st part: Genetical teratology 



The first part of the film describes simple 

 rules of dominant and recessive inheritance. 

 As examples of these hereditary patterns, pedi- 

 grees of achondroplasia and the Laurence- 

 Moon syndrome are presented. 



The chromosomal constitution of the normal 

 human cell and the classification of chromosomal 

 types are analysed. The well known chromo- 

 somal aberrations found in some clinical entities 

 are presented, including mongolism, Turner and 

 Klinefelter syndromes. As an example of rare 

 disease believed to be associated to a 17-18 

 chromosomal trisomy, a case of Klippel-Feil 

 syndrome is shown. 



The most characteristic clinical aspects of the 

 patients affected with the syndromes mentioned 

 above are indicated in detail. 



2nd part: Descriptive teratology 



The second part of the film intends to classify 

 and characterize the most representative ano- 

 malies associated with embryonic development. 

 Malformation patterns found in anomalies due 

 to retarded, excessive and faulty development are 

 exhibited. Anencephaly, cleft lip, heart defects, 

 sirenomielia, cyclops, xiphopagus and other 

 monster types are shown as examples. 



Surgical correction of hare lip is presented as 

 a clinical recoverv. 



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