LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT - A 10-YEAR OUTCOME STUDY OF THE CONTINUUM OF REPRODUCTIVE CASUALTY

Disability rates among low-birthweight infants, particularly those rel ated to congenital abnormality and cerebral palsy, are high. Both pren atal and perinatal factors are likely to be involved in the aetiology of most types of disability. IQ tends to be lower among low-birthweigh t infants, but does not appear to be closely related to birthweight al one. The confounding effect of social class should be considered when assessing aetiology and outcome, The long-term outcome for the increas ing number of low-birthweight infants who survive and receive intensiv e neonatal care requires to be continually assessed; however, studies should not be confined to the very- and extremely-low-birthweight infa nt requiring prolonged intensive care, but should include abortions, s tillbirths and neonatal deaths. As disability in survivors can relate to preterm birth but not perinatal complications, all low-birthweight infants require to be studied if selective bias is to be solved.