Born too small--is outcome still affected?

A cohort of boys weighing below the 2nd centile at birth between 1973 and 1974 were assessed at 10 to 11 years of age. Control children from the same population were matched for social class and age. Two boys in the light-for-dates group were profoundly disabled and were excluded from assessment. After these exclusions, there were no differences in intelligence or school achievement between the two groups, although tests of temperament and behaviour suggested some correlation between features of the 'attention deficit disorder' and the extent to which birthweight deviated from normal. Matching for social class is likely to have eliminated the confusing environmental and family influences associated with the poor outcome reported in a previous study of light-for-dates boys. In addition, improved perinatal care is likely to have contributed to the protection from long-term sequelae of the light-for-dates infants in the present study.