GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR IN ADOLESCENTS BORN SMALL-FOR-GESTATIONAL-AGE

Objective: To examine the effects on adolescents of being born small-f or-gestational-age (SGA). Methodology: The sample are members of a coh ort longitudinal study in which growth, cognitive development and beha viour are being studied into adulthood. Ninety-one SGA subjects were a vailable for comparison with the rest of the sample (n = 1037) on meas ures of height, weight, head circumference, cognitive performance and behavioural variables to the age of 18 years old. Results: SGA subject s were shorter and lighter at 18 years of age than their appropriate-f or-gestational-age (AGA) counterparts despite age of onset of menarche being the same in both groups. At age 13, SGA subjects scored signifi cantly lower than the AGA group on the WISC-R scales. They were rated by parents as having more behaviour problems at age of 15. Conclusions : SGA birth appears to be a potential problem which extends beyond chi ldhood in its effects on growth, behaviour and cognitive performance.