[Distribution of birth weights and influenza epidemics (author's transl)]

The possible consequences of influenza during pregnancy on the weight of the new born were studied. It was shown that the major 1969-70 winter influenza epidemic in Alsace was followed by a decrease in the mean birth weight registered in Haguenau's maternity hospital. This study confirms previous work on the subject and shows that birth weight can be used as a valuable tool at the epidemiologic scale.