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Short normal children and environmental disadvantage: a longitudinal study of growth and cognitive development from 4

L Dowdney1, D Skuse, K Morris

  • 1University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|November 6, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Short, healthy children from disadvantaged areas face a high risk of educational failure. Despite some growth, cognitive differences persist, impacting their school success.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Longitudinal study of socioeconomically disadvantaged children.
  • Focus on medically healthy but exceptionally short children and a normal comparison group.
  • Previous assessment at 4 years of age revealed cognitive impairments in short children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To follow up on a cohort of exceptionally short children and a normal comparison group.
  • To assess the long-term impact of socioeconomic disadvantage and short stature on development.
  • To evaluate cognitive abilities and educational outcomes at 11 years of age.

Main Methods:

  • Follow-up assessment of 45 children previously studied at 4 years.
  • Comparison between exceptionally short children and a normal-stature control group.
  • Assessment of cognitive skills, educational needs, and speech therapy referrals.

Main Results:

  • Short children remained exceptionally short at 11 years, with some catch-up growth.
  • One-third of short children required special educational support.
  • Similar proportions received speech therapy referrals.
  • Cognitive differences between short and normal-stature children persisted from age 4 to 11.
  • Verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills showed little change over time for both groups.

Conclusions:

  • Exceptionally short children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are at high risk for educational failure.
  • Socioeconomic factors significantly impact developmental trajectories and educational outcomes.
  • Early cognitive impairments in short children from disadvantaged environments may persist, necessitating targeted interventions.

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