title: Prenatal head growth and child neuropsychological development at age 14 months.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to assess the association between prenatal head growth and child neuropsychological development in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 2104 children at the age of 14 months from a population-based birth cohort in Spain. Head circumference (HC) was measured by ultrasound examinations at weeks 12, 20, and 34 of gestation and by a nurse at birth. Head growth was assessed using conditional SD scores between weeks 12-20 and 20-34. Trained psychologists assessed neuropsychological functioning using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Head size measurements at birth were transformed into a 3-category variable: microcephalic (<10th percentile), normocephalic (≥10th and <90th percentile), and macrocephalic (≥90th percentile) based on the cohort distribution. P values<.05 were considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No overall associations were observed between HC or head growth and mental and psychomotor scores. In particular, no associations were found between HC at birth and mental scores (coefficient, 0.04; 95% confidence interval, -0.02 to 0.09) and between interval head growth (20-34 weeks) and mental scores (0.31; 95% confidence interval, -0.36 to 0.99). Upon stratification by microcephalic, normocephalic, or macrocephalic head size, results were imprecise, although there were some significant associations in the microcephalic and macrocephalic groups. Adjustment by various child and maternal cofactors did not affect results. The minimum sample size required for present study was 883 patients (β=2, α=0.05, power=0.80).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall prenatal and perinatal HC was not associated with 14-month-old neuropsychological development. Findings suggest HC growth during uterine life among healthy infants may not be an important marker of early-life neurodevelopment but may be marginally useful with specific populations.
authors.affiliation: Teaching Unit, Parc de Salut Mar-Universitat Pompeu Fabra & Agéncia de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Álamo-Junquera
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain; Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
authors.affiliation: Conselleria de Sanitat, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iñiguez
authors.affiliation: Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain; Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garcia-Esteban
authors.affiliation: Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forns
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain; Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Departamento Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco, Leioa, Spain.
authors.forename: Aitana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lertxundi
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain; BioDonostia Health Research Institute, Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
authors.forename: Nerea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lertxundi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Somoano
authors.affiliation: Hospital de San Agustín, Avilés, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Dehli
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain; Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jjulvez@creal.cat.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Julvez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D058627:Megalencephaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology / Q000523:psychology*; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology / Q000523:psychology*; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
keywords: cognitive functions; head circumference; neurodevelopment; neuropsychological development; population-based study; prenatal growth