Somatic chromosome breakage in low birth weight newborns.

To detect any association between birth weight and frequency of aberration or cell damage and to investigate possible postnatal environmental effects on chromosomes, we studied controlled groups of newborn low and high birth weight infants and screened for chromosome breakage and rearrangement in cord blood and postnatal peripheral blood. No evidence of a correlation of neonatal chromosome damage and birth weight was found. A significant increase of chromosome damage in postnatal blood of intrauterine-growth-retarded infants is interpreted as a reflection of postnatal environmental factors.