Very low birth weight infants (< 1501 g) at double risk

This study examines the outcome at ages 2 and 3 years of very-low-birth-weight infants (N = 105) at double risk. Double risk was defined with reference to Fagan's model of intelligence. According to this model, cognitive-processing ability and culturally provided information produce knowledge. The Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence was used to assess processing ability, whereas parental socioeconomic status (SES) was used as an indicator of available information. Knowledge was measured by means of well-known psychometric tests of young children's abilities. Children at double risk were consistently delayed with respect to knowledge of intellectual skills and language as compared with children who were not at double risk. The data suggest that the assessment of processing ability and parental SES may provide a better foundation for detecting developmental delay than does a medical main-effect model.