Perinatal deaths in the Faroe Islands during 1986-95.

OBJECTIVE: To examine causes of perinatal mortality in the Faroe Islands, where it has been increased compared to other Nordic societies. METHOD: Cases were classified according to a fetal/obstetric, a fetal/neonatal, and a fetal/obstetric/neonatal classification (classifications C1, C2, and C3, respectively). SETTING: The Faroe Islands 1986-1995; as reference materials were used a) the preceding decade in the Faroes and b) a parallel period in Denmark. SUBJECTS: We examined all available information regarding each case from hospital records, midwife records, birth certificates, death certificates and autopsy records. RESULTS: The perinatal mortality was 10.3 per 1,000 total births (83/8,096) compared with 13.7 (102/7,458) in the preceding decade; the fall could be attributed to fewer cases with preeclampsia, antepartum bleedings (C1) and antepartum asphyxia (C2) and the number fell despite an increased occurrence of cases attributed to congenital malformations. Perinatal mortality in Denmark was 8.3 (4,574/550,971), where rates were lower of cases with congenital malformations and fetoplacental dysfunction, but where the rate was higher of cases related to preterm birth (C3). CONCLUSIONS: Although the perinatal mortality rate still is higher in the Faroes than Denmark, the rate had fallen in the Faroes from 1976-85 to 1986-1995. The fall was mainly due to fewer cases attributable to antepartum asphyxia, preeclampsia, antepartum bleedings, and hyaline membrane disease, a pattern compatible with a more efficient perinatal service in the Faroes in the latter period.

[Cancer registration in the Faeroe Islands]. / Cancerregistrering på Faerøerne.

The main purpose was to establish a cancer registry which could provide data for the treatment and control of cancer in the Faroe Islands. The registry should also be useful for epidemiological research in the future to pinpoint causes of cancer. The initiation of the registry is a result of a workgroup with members from the Faroes Hospital and Health System and from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology at the Danish Cancer Society. The data items collected in the Faroes registry are identical with the data items in the Danish Cancer Registry. To provide a basis for the registry we have performed a retrospective data collection identifying all cancer cases in the Faroes for the 15 year period 1979-1993. All hospital records and death certificates in the period were scrutinized. The official initiation of the Faroes cancer registry was on 1, January 1994.

A clinico-pathological classification of perinatal deaths in the Faroe Islands.

OBJECTIVE: To highlight the causes of perinatal mortality in the Faroe Islands where perimortality is high according to Nordic standards. DESIGN: Two systems were employed to classify perinatal deaths on the basis of clinico-pathological findings, one focusing on obstetrical factors and the other on fetal-neonatal factors. SETTING: Faroe Islands. Data from Iceland were used for comparison since the two communities have many similarities, including similar birthweight distributions. SUBJECTS: Birth and death certificates and medical and midwife files were recovered for 98 of the 102 officially recorded perinatal deaths in the Faroes during 1977-1986. Icelandic data for 1976-1985 were available in the literature. RESULTS: The perinatal mortality rate was 13.7 per 1000 births. Obstetric factors were classified as unexplained, congenital anomaly, antepartum haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, mechanical causes, and maternal disorders and accounted for 43%, 18%, 15%, 11%, 6% and 6% of the 98 cases, respectively. Fetal-neonatal factors were classified as antepartum asphyxia, congenital anomaly, intrapartum asphyxia, hyaline membrane disease, pulmonary immaturity, and other causes, and these factors accounted for 43%, 18%, 15%, 9%, 5%, and 8%, respectively. The excess perinatal mortality rate of 4.1 cases per 1000 births in the Faroes, relative to Iceland, could mainly be attributed to an excess of 2.9 cases per 1000 births in the group classified as unexplained, as defined according to the obstetrics classification. CONCLUSIONS: No well defined cause was particularly common in the Faroes or could account for the excess perinatal mortality rate in the Faroes relative to Iceland.

Pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria lactamica in households with infants within areas with high and low incidences of meningococcal disease.

In a household survey in the Faroe Islands, an isolated community with hyperendemic occurrence of meningococcal disease due to serogroup B 15, 1604 persons were examined for pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and N. lactamica. Two areas were chosen having experienced high (HIA), and two having experienced low incidences (LIA) of disease. Living in HIA compared with LIA was associated with higher risk of N. meningitidis B 15 carriage and lower risk of N. lactamica carriage, with odds ratios of 2.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-5.1, P = 0.003) and 0.41 (95% CI 0.31-0.53, P less than 0.0001), respectively. In HIA the risk of N. meningitidis carriage was much lower in non-carriers than carriers of N. lactamica, with an odds ratio of 0.19 (95% CI 0.08-0.47, P = 0.0003); in LIA this association (odds ratio 0.51, P = 0.05) was much weaker. Children 0-14 years had substantially higher risk of being carriers of N. meningitidis group B 15 if the mothers were so, with an odds ratio of 11 (95% CI 4-29, P less than 0.0001).

High liveborn birth weights in the Faroes: a comparison between birth weights in the Faroes and in Denmark.

The average birth weight of 10 132 liveborn infants delivered in the Faroes during the period 1969-81 was 3610 grams, which is the highest average weight reported by 33 countries from which we were able to obtain information. Comparison of live births only between the Faroes and Denmark shows a displacement between their birth weight curves of 225 grams. A less active elective delivery in the Faroes could not explain this considerable difference. When standardisation is made with respect to discrepancies in maternal age and marital status in the two populations, the difference between their average birth weights is increased by 5% and 9% respectively. A matching for maternal parity yields a difference between the averages which is 23% below the one between the total populations. Other factors must be responsible. Both environmental and genetic factors plus the possibility of the Faroes being closer to having an optimal birth weight than other countries are discussed.

Persistence of contact allergy to chromium.

Forty-eight patients with a positive patch test to potassium dichromate 0.5% were retested after 4-7 years; 38 patients (79%) still had a positive patch test. Chromate allergy seems to be persistent. In 72% of the cases a history of occupational exposure to chromates could be proved.

A study of the linkage relations of epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica.

Two large families from the Faroe Islands presenting epidermolysis bullosa of the dystrophic type were subjected to extensive linkage analyses with 22 serological markers. No significant evidence in support of linkage with any of these loci was provided. It was found to be very unlikely that the gene or genes causing the present types of epidermolysis bullosa belong to the EBS1 locus known to be closely linked to the GPT locus.

Intercellular and circulating antibodies in patients with dyskeratosis follicularis, Darier's disease.

Skin biopsies from 6 patients, and biopsies of the palatal mucosa of 4 of these patients with dyskeratosis follicularis (DF) (Dariers disease) were examined for in vivo bound antibodies by means of a direct immunofluorescence (IF) technique. Antibodies located in the intercellular substance of the epidermis were found in the skin lesions of all patients. Immunoglobulins of the classes IgG, IgA and IgM as well as C3 were found in all lesions. No antibodies reacting with the palatal mucosa were found. Sera from 6 patients with DF and 10 control persons were tested by an indirect IF technique for circulating antibodies. Guinea pig lip and normal oral mucosa and skin were used as antigens. All patients sera and one control serum reacted with the basal cell of the guinea pig lip. Three DF sera--but no control sera--reacted with the basal cells of human oral mucosa. None of the sera reacted with human skin.

[Legal abortions in October quater 1973. A preliminary account of the number based on 4,590 notified abortions during the period 1.X.1973 to 31.XII.1973]. / Legale abortindgreb i oktober Kvartal 1973. En foreløbig opgørelse af antallet baseret på 4.590 anmeldte abortindgreb i tiden 1.X.1973 til 31.XII.1973.

PIP: Preliminary abortion statistics of 4590 cases from the final quarter of 1973 are compared with those of previous years to try to determine the consequences of the new law on abortion which was effective October 1, 1973. The majority of the abortions were performed in gynecology or obstetrics departments and prior to the 9th week of pregnancy. There was a 35% per year increase in the number of abortions for that quarter. The greatest increase in the number of abortions occurred in the 25-29 year age group, with the greatest number of abortions occurring in the 30-37 year age group. A geographic distribution of the abortions is presented, with abortions about 33.3% more frequent in urban areas.^ieng