Abstract
Infants with impaired fetal growth (IFG) (N=15) were compared with normally grown infants (N=22) on the Brazelton scale. IFG infants were classified into proportionate (N=8) or disproportionate (N=7) growth retarded based on weight for age, length for age, and weight for length (ponderal index, PI) standards. The Brazelton scale was administered on the 2nd day of life with newly developed supplementary scales for at-risk infants. The results showed that IFG infants performed significantly more poorly on the orientation (p<.008) and motor (p<.006) clusters and on 13 of the 18 new supplementary items (all p's <.01). IFG infants showed a greater imbalance of muscle tone, were less likely to maintain an alert state and when alert were less responsive to stimulation. They were fragile infants, stressed by the exam, requiring a high degree of input from the examiner. Analyses run to compare the proportionate vs. disproportionate IFG groups by controlling for differences due to the PI showed that the PI uniquely affected the infant's state (p<.01) and attentional (p<.01) capacities. This study shows differences in neonatal behavior due. to IFG and suggests that early nutritional insult (proportionate growth retardation) affects different behavioral capacities than later insult (disproportionate growth retardation). The study also supports the use of supplementary Brazelton scale items in the behavioral assessment of the infant at risk.
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Lester, B., Garcia-Coll, C., Valcarcel, M. et al. NEONATAL BEHAVIOR IN INFANTS WITH IMPAIRED FETAL GROWTH. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 108 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00088
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00088