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Factors affecting development: similarities and differences among children who were small, average, and large for
Insights
Social class and sex significantly impact 7-year-old children's development. Factors like birth weight (small-for-gestational age, average-for-gestational age, large-for-gestational age) and delivery method also influence developmental scores.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Child Health
Background:
- Child development is influenced by various prenatal and postnatal factors.
- Understanding these influences is crucial for identifying potential developmental risks.
- Gestational age and birth weight categories (small-for-gestational age, average-for-gestational age, large-for-gestational age) are key indicators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors affecting developmental scores at 7 years of age.
- To analyze the contributions of social class, sex, birth weight, and other factors to developmental variance.
- To compare developmental outcomes across different birth weight groups.
Main Methods:
- Multiple regression analyses were used to assess the contributions of various factors to developmental scores.
- Developmental assessments were conducted on children categorized as small-for-gestational age (SGA), average-for-gestational age (AGA), and large-for-gestational age (LGA).
- Data included social class, sex, birth order, maternal smoking, hypertension, and delivery method.
Main Results:
- Social class strongly influenced intellectual ability across all birth weight groups.
- In SGA and AGA groups, girls exhibited superior gross and fine-motor skills compared to boys.
- Hypertension was linked to lower scores in the SGA group; LGA children with spontaneous vaginal deliveries scored higher than those delivered instrumentally or via C-section.
Conclusions:
- Social class and sex are significant determinants of development in 7-year-old children.
- Factors such as birth weight category, maternal health, and delivery method can modify developmental trajectories.
- Further research is needed to understand the specific conditions under which various factors influence child development.
Abstract:
The development of 118 small-for-gestational age (SGA), 137 average-for-gestational age (AGA), and 118 large-for-gestational age (LGA) children was assessed at 7 years. The contributions of different factors to the variance in developmental scores were investigated by multiple regression analyses. All three groups showed the powerful influence of social class on intellectual ability at this age; and in the SGA and AGA groups the gross and fine-motor skills of girls were superior to boys. Smoking had a small effect in the AGA group, and in the two extreme groups first-born children did slightly better than later-born. Hypertension was associated with reduced scores in the SGA group, and LGA children who had spontaneous vaginal deliveries had higher scores than those delivered instrumentally or by caesarean section. There was a significant positive correlation between gestational age and developmental scores in the AGA group; but in the SGA group the relationship was in the reverse direction. Social class and sex affect the development of most children aged 7 years. Other factors seem to manifest an effect only under specified conditions.