SOCIAL AND BIOLOGICAL RISK-FACTORS FOR MILD AND BORDERLINE IMPAIRMENTOF LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION IN A COHORT OF 5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

Biological risk factors during intra-uterine life, delivery and the ne onatal period, and measures of social adversity during pregnancy, were studied as predictors of a 'mildly impaired' (50 to 74) or 'borderlin e' (75 to 84) score on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) at a ged five years in 3906 children. Biological risk factors in pregnancy were associated with neither PPVT outcome. Gestation of <36 weeks, >3 minutes to establishment of respiration and admission to intensive car e were associated with a lower PPVT score indicating mild impairment, though only in the unadjusted analyses. A five minute Apgar score of < 5 and male sex were related to borderline scores, though only the latt er remained significant after statistical allowance for possible confo unding. In contrast, almost all measures of social adversity were rela ted to both PPVT outcomes even after statistical adjustment for the in fluence of other factors.