title: Large-for-dates babies at the age of four years: health, handicap and developmental status.
abstract: 236 Average-for-dates (AFD) and 212 large-for-dates (LFD) children were personally examined at birth, and seen thereafter at regular intervals up to 4 yr, when a thorough assessment was made. No differences were found in the prevalence of handicap, health problems, speech and hearing defects, impaired vision or squint; and abnormalities of gross and fine-motor movements were equally low in both groups. At 4 yr the mean scores for five sectors of development were slightly higher in the LFD group, and the difference in total scores was significant; but when adjustment was made for sex and social class the difference became insignificant. Within group analyses of 16 variables and their effects on developmental scores showed no associations in either group according to maternal weight, height and siblings birthweight; hypertension, pre-eclampsia or bleeding during pregnancy; asphyxia or injury at birth. Within each group the net effect of eight factors was assessed; adjustment being made for the other seven variables. In the AFD group significant differences in total scores were found according to sex, social class, smoking, and method of infant feeding. In the LFD group social class and method of delivery made a significant contribution to total scores.
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001724:Birth Weight; D002657:Child Development; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking