A review of the field of human teratoepidemiology—the epidemiology of congenital malformations—is presented here along with a discussion of the importance of international collaboration in monitoring congenital malformations. Studies implicating various environmental teratogens such as drugs, industrial and agricultural chemicals, intrauterine infections, radiation and nutritional factors are discussed at some length as well as problems encountered in detecting human teratogenic agents.

A study of employment during pregnancy and its effects was carried out among pregnant women who were under the care of the Community Health Center, Hadassah Medical School, in a neighbourhood of West Jerusalem. Of the women, 46−2% worked during pregnancy, and 78−6% of them were in occupations which demanded light physical activity. Most of the women worked throughout the whole pregnancy. Educational level as well as parity emerged as the main factors in determining whether a pregnant woman worked or not. No significant effects of employment were found in pregnancy complications or length of gestation, but significant differences did emerge in the number of delivery abnormalities. This finding is interpreted as the result of the interaction of several social conditions rather than of work itself. The findings support the hypothesis that work by itself does not affect either pregnancy or its outcome (as measured by birth weight).

Comparison of some longitudinal data on infant weight in two samples of Australian Aborigines indicates changes in infant growth between 1966 and 1976 which suggest that at the time when the child comes off the breast, weight gain slows. This faltering of weight gain is often followed by a partial catch-up, but the resultant weight for age at 1 year corresponds with a lower British centile than the child was at just before weaning.

Although abortion is still illegal in the Philippines it appears to be increasing. This article reviews the methods to which women wanting to terminate a pregnancy resort, in spite of the health risks attached to them; these traditional practices include the use of herbal and pharmaceutical preparations supposedly with abortifacient properties, catheter insertion, abdominal massage and dilatation and curettage. It then goes on to discuss menstrual data from the records of two doctors in one ciry who are amongst the relatively small number of people in the country who are using the technique at the present time.

The relationship between abortion experience and contraceptive practice is examined among women having a first or repeat induced abortion at the same clinic(n=443 in each group). A previous abortion was the single most important predictor of past contraceptive practices and of contraception at the conception of the pregnancy being terminated. A previous abortion was associated with greater use of all methods of contraception among women not on welfare (P < 0·001). During the 18–month study the proportion of patients who had had previous abortions rose from 13·3% to 21·1%, and those undergoing repeat abortions appeared increasingly likely to be on welfare. Contraceptive practies did not change over time except for women on welfare having repeat abortions who became less likely to have used contraception at the time of conception (p < 0·05). While the experience of abortion is generally associated with improved contraceptive practice, many women in this population, particularly those on welfare, appear to remain exposed to unprotected coitus and subsequent repeat abortion.

This article considers the birth control experience of 800 patients for abortion in the United States and makes comparison with British data. The results uncover some cultural factors associated with non-use of contraception. Some suggestions are made as to social changes that would be desirable to reduce the abortion rate.

A survey of 1056 married women living in rural areas of Sarawak showed that 86% of them of had knowledge of family planning and 85% expressed a favourable attitude towards it. Of the total sample, 46% were using some form of contraception; the pill was the most popular method and was used by 76% of the women practising contraception. The present average family size in rural sarawak is 5·3 and greater family planning programme effort will be needed if this is to be reduced, especially in view of the social and cultural factors involved and the generally low educational standard of the women

Data from a survey of 349 fertile married women are used to examine the significance of cultural context for contraceptive behaviour in a traditional Indian village. While sterilization was widely sanctioned, other methods were little known, favoured or used. Relationship with modernization indicators also varied for different contraceptive techniques.

Traditional respondents were as favourable towards sterilization as modern women, but modern women were significantly more likely to accept other methods. These results are attributed to differential government efforts which have placed almost exclusive emphasis upon sterilization. It is argued that an expanded family planning programme would overcome the inertia of tradition concerning non-terminal contraception.

This paper examines the effect of age at first marriage, number of wives and type of marital union on fertility among Yoruba females in Western Nigeria. The evidence indicates that age at first marriage and hunband's number of wives do not have a significant effect on completed fertility. Type of marital union, on the other hand, seems to have an effect on fertility. Women in de facto unions experience lower fertility than women in formal marriages.

This paper tests the hypothesis that the inverse relationship between population density and migration distances in pre-industrial Europe results from variation in the social class composition of communities. Data from two pyrenean valleys in Navarre, spain, provide support for the hypothsis. Further effect on mugration distances may result from vatiation in the settlement pattern of communities. Seasonal movement associated with certain occupations seems to be unimportant.