[Altitude adaptation. IV. Fertility and reproduction at high altitudes]

High altitude populations have been reproducing for thousands of years. The mean total fertility is comparable to the respective mean values of the whole populations or is even higher. On the other hand, newcomers from sea level seem to have difficulties reproducing in high altitude, especially if they are caucasian. Cattle and other animals fail to reproduce to some extent (due to degeneration of the testes, asoospermia, abortation etc.), which can only be avoided after crossbreeding with aclimatized strains in several generations. But successful gestation in altitudes above 3000 metres is different from sea level gestation in several aspects, which may be important for the survival of mother and child, thus leaving open the question of selective pressure. The mean birth weight of man and animals is reduced, while the mean palcental weight is greater (relatively and absolutely) due to enlargement of the capillary volume. Placenta proves to be on higher risk for developing infarcts (the more in number and extetion, the greater the caucasian admixture). Due to the tendency to a greater extention of the surface, the rate of placenta praevia is extremely high (27%). The lower birth weight corresponds to a higher neonatal mortality, progressing with increasing altitude. Additional to the high altitude stress including the factors to which the newborn are exposed, such as cold, nuturtional deficiencies etc., particular socio-economic conditions influence the differential mortality. In the Bolivian mining-areas, mortality during the first year of life rises to 50%. Only high fertility rates compensate this loss so that high altitude population growth rates do not vary with the altitude.