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Growth in utero and cognitive function in adult life: follow up study of people born between 1920 and 1943

Growth in utero and cognitive function in adult life: follow up study of people born between 1920 and 1943
Growth in utero and cognitive function in adult life: follow up study of people born between 1920 and 1943
OBJECTIVES--To examine the relation between fetal growth and cognitive function in adult life. DESIGN--A follow up study of men and women whose birth weights and other measurements of body size had been recorded at birth. SETTING--Hertfordshire, Preston, and Sheffield. SUBJECTS--1576 men and women born in Hertfordshire, Sheffield, or Preston between 1920 and 1943. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Intelligence quotient as measured by the AH4 test and amount of decline in cognitive function with age as estimated by the difference between score on the Mill Hill vocabulary test and score on the AH4 test. RESULTS--Score on the intelligence test was higher in people who had a large biparietal head diameter at birth, but it was not related to any other measure of body size or proportions. No association was found between decline in cognitive function and any measure of size or proportions at birth. CONCLUSION--Impaired fetal growth was not associated with poorer cognitive performance in adult life. Adaptations made by the fetus in response to conditions that retard its growth seem to be largely successful in maintaining brain development.
0959-8138
1393-1396
Martyn, C.N.
bb7ae7af-c7af-4e79-b719-216733eda771
Gale, C.R.
5bb2abb3-7b53-42d6-8aa7-817e193140c8
Sayer, A.A.
fb4c2053-6d51-4fc1-9489-c3cb431b0ffb
Fall, C.H.D.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Martyn, C.N.
bb7ae7af-c7af-4e79-b719-216733eda771
Gale, C.R.
5bb2abb3-7b53-42d6-8aa7-817e193140c8
Sayer, A.A.
fb4c2053-6d51-4fc1-9489-c3cb431b0ffb
Fall, C.H.D.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18

Martyn, C.N., Gale, C.R., Sayer, A.A. and Fall, C.H.D. (1996) Growth in utero and cognitive function in adult life: follow up study of people born between 1920 and 1943. BMJ, 312 (7043), 1393-1396.

Record type: Article

Abstract

OBJECTIVES--To examine the relation between fetal growth and cognitive function in adult life. DESIGN--A follow up study of men and women whose birth weights and other measurements of body size had been recorded at birth. SETTING--Hertfordshire, Preston, and Sheffield. SUBJECTS--1576 men and women born in Hertfordshire, Sheffield, or Preston between 1920 and 1943. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Intelligence quotient as measured by the AH4 test and amount of decline in cognitive function with age as estimated by the difference between score on the Mill Hill vocabulary test and score on the AH4 test. RESULTS--Score on the intelligence test was higher in people who had a large biparietal head diameter at birth, but it was not related to any other measure of body size or proportions. No association was found between decline in cognitive function and any measure of size or proportions at birth. CONCLUSION--Impaired fetal growth was not associated with poorer cognitive performance in adult life. Adaptations made by the fetus in response to conditions that retard its growth seem to be largely successful in maintaining brain development.

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More information

Published date: 1 June 1996

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 159747
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/159747
ISSN: 0959-8138
PURE UUID: 5edb1f5e-f624-4bc6-9ca7-974801c239ae
ORCID for C.R. Gale: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3361-8638
ORCID for C.H.D. Fall: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-5552

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Date deposited: 07 Jul 2010 13:50
Last modified: 08 Jan 2022 02:42

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Contributors

Author: C.N. Martyn
Author: C.R. Gale ORCID iD
Author: A.A. Sayer
Author: C.H.D. Fall ORCID iD

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