THERE has been considerable conjecture in Hawaii and elsewhere as to whether the same weight standard for immature births may be applicable to all races. It has been quite generally accepted that white babies weighing 2,500 gm. or less at birth are immature. But does this weight limit apply equally well for babies of other than Caucasian blood; does it apply for Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino babies whose mothers are generally small of stature?
The population of Hawaii, 86% of whom are U. S. citizens, is divided into six categories and is predominately nonwhite (Table 1).
The Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos, all of whom are generally physically smaller than the Caucasians and Hawaiians and usually smaller than the Part-Hawaiians,1 comprise 60% of the total population.
Of a total of 14,182 single live births in 1951, 51% were classified as either Chinese, Japanese, or Filipino by race of origin of