Behavioural and cognitive associations of short stature at 5 years

Objectives: To determine the extent to which childhood short stature is ass ociated with cognitive, behavioural and chronic health problems, and whethe r these problems could be attributed to recognized adverse biological, psyc hosocial or psychological factors. Methodology: At their first antenatal session, 8556 women were enrolled in a prospective study of pregnancy. When their children were 4 and 6 years of age, mothers completed a detailed questionnaire concerning their child's h ealth and behaviour. A Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) was completed by the child at 5 years of age. Z scores were used to categorize height measurements in 3986 children. The relationship of these height cat egories with the child's health. and behavioural and cognitive problems was then examined. Results: No association was found between height and symptoms of chronic di sease or behaviour problems in boys or girls. On the unadjusted analysis, m ean PPVT-R scores were significantly lower in boys with heights <3 percenti le and 3-<10 percentile compared with study children between 10 to 90 perce ntile (P<0.01). Scores were similarly significantly lower in girls with hei ghts < 3 percentile and 3-10 percentile (P= 0.01). Even after adjusting for psychosocial and biological confounders, short stature remained a signific ant predictor for lower PPVT-R scores in both boys and girls, although heig ht only accounted for 1.1% of the variance in scores in boys and 0.5% of th e variance in PPVT-R scores in girls. Psychosocial factors had a greater ro le than height in determining PPVT-R scores at 5 years of age. Conclusions: These findings suggest a significant, though small, associatio n between height and PPVT-R scores at 5 years of age, independent of psycho social disadvantage and known biological risk factors.