Infant mortality in Sweden and Finland: implications for the United States.

Sweden had the lowest reported infant mortality rate (IMR) among countries of the world from 1920 until 1980. Since 1981, Sweden, Japan, and Finland have shared this number one ranking on a somewhat rotating basis. The United States ranks 18th. In 1985, the reported IMRs in Japan, Sweden, and Finland were 5.5, 6.8, and 6.3, respectively, while that of the United States was 10.6 per 1000 live births. This article presents detailed data on IMR in Sweden, Finland, and the United States. It also includes data on neonatal mortality, postneonatal mortality, age of death, and incidence of low birth-weight in the three countries. The paper briefly describes background information on maternal and infant care in Sweden and Finland, including prenatal care, labor and delivery, sex education, family planning, abortion, infant care, and social benefits in Sweden and Finland. The paper gives possible reasons for the achievement of the low IMR in Sweden and Finland, and considers the implications for the United States.

Mortality and cancer incidence in the man-made mineral fiber industry in Sweden.

This report gives an account of the Swedish contribution to the joint European epidemiologic study on production workers in the man-made mineral fiber (MMMF) industry. The information sources utilized and the follow-up procedure, making extensive use of record-linkage operations extracting data from computerized data banks, are described in some detail. The follow-up with regard to vital status, deaths and causes of death, diagnosed cancers, and emigration could essentially be based on such techniques. The problems of tracing immigrant and emigrant subpopulations are given particular attention. The exposed Swedish cohort consisted of 3,600 persons giving 61,690 person-years of observation. A total of 524 deaths was observed in the cohort, 230 cohort members had emigrated during the period of observation (147 of whom could be traced to other Nordic countries), and 62 other persons were lost to follow-up. It was observed that most of the persons contracting lung cancer in the Swedish cohort had been exposed during relatively short periods of time, ie, during one to four years of employment. This finding applied to both the rock-wool and glass-wool industry. The authors point out that the observed excess risk in lung cancer deaths may also have other explanations than occupational exposure to MMMF.

Large-bowel cancer in married couples in Sweden. A follow-up study.

The cause of death in 1951-1977 and cancer morbidity in 1959-73 were determined in 1094 (99.6%) eligible spouses of 1716 persons in Sweden who died from colon and rectum cancer in 1961. The risk of colorectal cancer and other possibly aetiologically related diseases was no higher in the spouses than in a matched population.

Mortality in a region surrounding an arsenic emitting plant.

The purpose of the investigation is to study whether an increased mortality from certain causes exists in an area around the Rönnskärsverken smelter works in northern Sweden. Founded in 1928, this metallurgical plant processing mainly nonferrous metals has since its initial operations been using ore with a high arsenic content. This has resulted in environmental pollution to air and water of arsenic, as well as other metals and sulfur dioxide. The causes of death for the population of two parishes in the vicinity of the plant were listed from the National Sedish Register on Death Causes. A reference area in the same part of Sweden with similar degree of urbanization, occupational profile, and age distribution was chosen. The causes of death for the two populations were followed during a period of 14 yr. A significantly higher mortality rate for lung cancer was noted in men in the exposed area. However, this increase was no longer significant when the occupationally exposed at Rönnskärsverken were excluded. The latter showed a highly significant excess mortality due to primary respiratory cancer.A continuation of this investigation in the form of a cohort study of both the mortality and cancer incidence is currently under way.