[Speech development in children of mothers who used hormone preparations during pregnancy]

The exposition to sex hormones during pregnancy and their effects on fetus and newborns growth and development has been the subject of numerous researches. The former researches pointed out that the sex hormones used during pregnancy may have the negative effects on fetal growth. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the hormones used during pregnancy on the growth and development of children until the age of seventh year. The study includes 528 children; 235 of them have been exposed to hormones during pregnancy and the others 293 who have not been exposed to hormones "in utero". The selection of the newborns and their mothers has been made according to the hormonal exposures during pregnancy and the delivery term. The results indicate that the average values of children's weight and length on the delivery in hormonal group have been lower than in the control group. The children in the hormonal group had the earlier development of the speech and less number of disorders. The assessment of various growth factors and children's development represents a special methodological and evaluation problem, because many factors have influence on the development of speech in children.