The effect of intrauterine malnutrition on the term infant. A 14-year progressive study.

The developmental outcome of 33 newborn infants with clinical intrauterine malnutrition at birth and 13 clinically well nourished infants from a middle to high socio-economic population have been followed from birth to 12-14 years of age. Psychometric studies revealed a lowering of the IQ score in malnourished infants compared to well nourished infants (104 +/- 15 compared to 121 +/- 13, p less than 0.05) and a need for special education (p less than 0.03). Forty-five percent of the malnourished infants' birth weights were above the 10th percentile on the Colorado Intrauterine Growth Grid. The Full Scale IQ of malnourished infants with BW greater and less than 10th percentile on the Colorado Intrauterine Growth Grid were comparable. Malnourished infants with birth weights greater than 10th percentile had lower IQ scores than well nourished infants (101 +/- 13 compared to 121 +/- 13, p less than 0.006). Thirty-nine percent of the infants with handicaps would have been missed if only infants with birth weights less than 10th percentile were considered high risk.