Consequence of low birth weight.

Abstract

Recent research indicates that low birth weight (prematurity) is correlated, in varying degree, with a number of deficits and debilities in development. Intellectual impairment, for example, has been found to be significant for very low-birth-weight individuals, but not for those at the upper end of the low-birth-weight distribution. Low birth weight is relatively frequent in the histories of mental retardates, institutionalized individuals (in general), and high school dropouts. In addition, deviant behaviors such as hyperkinesis, autism, and involvement in childhood accidents, appear to be relatively common among prematures, as are difficulties in language development, and in various areas of academic achievement. Physical growth, motor behavior, and neurological functioning are adversely affected as well. Minimal brain damage is presumed by some researchers to mediate these sequelae. In turn, poor maternal nutrition, and inadequate prenatal care are viewed as causative of both low birth weight and of the attendant minimal brain damage. The difficulty of exercising proper control over potentially confounding variables is also discussed.

Empirical Data Confirm Autism Symptoms Related to Aluminum and Acetaminophen Exposure

“…Table 1 shows all of the words or phrases that were biased towards the autism data set with a p-value at or below 0.05. Constipation [101], anxiety [102], asthma [28], eczema [29] and premature birth [103] have all been found to be associated with autism in the research literature. We consider it to be a validation of our methods that we detected these features with a statistically significant p-value.…”

Iron Deficiency: Behavior and Brain Biochemistry

“…The hypothesis that early traumas result in later impairment of development and behavior can be traced back to the nineteenth century (Little, 1862). Thereafter, and especially in the last 30 years, much research has been conducted regarding long-term behavioral effects of environmental stress in early life (Caputo and Mandell, 1970;Gottfried, 1973;Hunt, 1976a). Recent work by a series of investigators, however, has raised doubts about many forms of early brain insult as a source of detectable sequelae in later childhood (Sameroff, 1975;McCall, 1976;Scarr-Salapatek, 1976).…”

“…There are well-controlled studies yielding no differences in intelligence testing between children with and without a history of low birth weight (Robinson and Robinson, 1965). A review of the relevant studies published in 1970 concluded that the deficits reported are generally associated with very low birth weights-that is, about 1500 g (Caputo and Mandell, 1970). Studies of children with milder birth-weight deficits show minimal-if any-IQ deficits at school age.…”

Physical and behavioral sequelae of low birthweight in spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus)

“…Low birthweight in humans is likewise correlated with the development of a variety of neurological and behavioral abnormalities (Niswander & Gordon, 1972) ranging from learning disabilities (Hunt, Tooley, & Harvin, 1982) and delays in perceptual, memory, and motor abilities (Siegel, 1982) to hyperkinesis and autism (Caputo & Mandell, 1970).…”