A cytogenetic study of spontaneous abortions in Hawaii

Summary Cytogenetic results on 234 spontaneous abortions showed 109 (46.6 yo) to have a chromosome abnormality. The results were analysed separately for the four major ethnic groups of which the population was composed and no differences in the proportion or types of chromosome abnormalities seen. The results of this survey were found to be very similar to other major published surveys and it therefore appears, on present evidence, that neither geographic location nor racial group affects the frequency of chromosome abnormalities seen among human spontaneous abortions. The sex ratio among the chromosomally normal and abnormal abortuses and the effect of parental and gestational age were discussed. This work was supported by the National Foundation March of Dimes Grant 6–47 and the Spencer Foundation. Wo are grateful to Dr T. Kobara and the staff of the Pathology Department of the Kapiolarii Children's Medical Center, to Mrs B. Tanaka and Mrs C. Earnshaw and the nursing staff of the Operating Room, and to Mrs H. Arnold and the nursing staff of the Gynmcological Services. Without their continued help and co‐operation the project would not have been possible. We would also like to thank Miss Shirley Yee of the Population Genetics Laboratory, University of Hawaii, for her help with the statistical analysis.