MATERNAL AND NEONATAL RISK-FACTORS FOR MENTAL-RETARDATION - DEFINING THE AT-RISK CHILD

Objective: To determine how mental retardation at age seven is related to certain maternal, perinatal, and neonatal characteristics. Method: A sample of 35704 children followed from the prenatal period to age 7 years in the Collaborative Perinatal Project provided data on nine ma ternal and pregnancy characteristics and 12 neonatal factors. Results: Low socioeconomic status of the family (SES) accounted for 44-50% of mental retardation and a low level of maternal education accounted for 20%. Other prenatal factors with significantly elevated relative risk s, (P < 0.05) were maternal IQ score less than 70, weight gain in preg nancy less than 10 pounds and multiple birth. Maternal anemia in pregn ancy accounted for 14% of mental retardation in blacks, and, urinary t ract infections accounted for 6% of mental retardation in whites. Sign ificant elevations in relative risk were found for major genetic and p ost-infection syndromes, CNS malformations, cerebral palsy, seizures, abnormal movements or tone, and low birth weight. Relative risk was al so significantly increased with low 1 minute APGAR, primary apnea, and head circumference and length more than 2 SD below average but only i n the low SES black subgroup, Conclusion: Early developmental events c an be ranked on the basis of the strength of their association with me ntal retardation and such rankings can be used as a guide for defining risk status in early infancy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.