Head Size at One Year as a Predictor of Four‐Year IQ

Abstract

SUMMARY The relationship between head circumference and body length at 50–54 weeks was studied relative to IQ at four years in 9,379 children registered in the Collaborative Project on Cerebral Palsy. All white or Negro children examined within the proper time intervals were included, excepting only those with definite cyanotic congenital heart disease at one year of age. Account was taken of race, sex, and maternal education. 1. Over the range studied, IQ at four years was found to vary directly with both head circumference and body length at one year. 2. At a given small head circumference, four‐year IQ rose with increasing body length. This observation suggests that the clinical dictum that head circumference should be evaluated with reference to the ‘proportionality’ between head size and height requires re‐evaluation. 3. Head sizes in the smallest 0 67 per cent of the population at one year were associated with four‐year iqs of less than 80 in half the cases. No head size within the range studied excluded the possibility of an IQ within the normal range. Differences between this observation and previous reports are discussed. 4. The 1 per cent of children with largest heads at one year had four‐year IQS somewhat higher than children with head sizes at the mean, and a higher proportion of the largest‐headed children had IQS of 120 or more at four years. 5. No boy with a head circumference less than 43 cm or girl with head circumference less than 42 cm at one year of age achieved a four‐year IQ of 120 or more. For male children, a head circumference of less than 44 cm at one year would seem to make it extremely improbable that the four‐year IQ would be 120 or greater. RÉSUMÉ Tour de tète à un an et quotient intellectuel à 4 ans La relation entre le tour de tête et la taille à 50–54 semaines a étéétudiée en fonction du QI à 4 ans chez 9379 enfants inscrits dans le projet coopératif sur l'Infirmité Motrice Cérébrale. Tous les enfants, blancs ou noirs, examinés à intervalles réguliers ont été inclus, exceptés ceux qui présentaient des maladies cardiaques congénitales cyanogènes à 1 an. Ont été relevés, la race, le sexe et l'éducation maternelle. 1. Sur tout le groupe étudié, le QI à 4 ans a été noté comme variant directement en fonction du tour de tête et de la taille à un an. 2. Pour un petit tour de tête donne, le QI à 4 ans augmente en fonction d'une taille plus grande à un an. Cette observation suggère que l'affirmation clinique qui indique que le tour de tête a une signification, qui dépend de la ‘proportionnalité’ entre taille de la tête et taille du corps nécessite d'être reconsidérée. 3. Les tours de tête des 0,67 pour cent de la population les plus petits à 1 an sont associés à un QI à 4 ans inférieur à 80 dans la moitié des cas. Cependant, aucun tour de tête dans les èchantillons ètudiès n'exclue la possibilitè d'un QI normal. On discute la différence entre cette observation et les précédents rapports. 4. Le 1 pour cent des enfants avec le tour de tête le plus grand à un an présente à 4 ans un QI quelqu...

Developmental Correlates of Head Circumference at Birth and Two Years in a Cohort of Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns

“…Our finding that one third of children with microcephaly at age 2 have CP and more than half have an MDI less than 70 affirms the general observation of others that subnormal postnatal head growth is associated with lower MDI and IQ scores and poor school function, whether infants are born at term,26 with very low birth weight,2,21,27 or now at extremely low gestational age.…”

Beneficial effects of zinc supplementation on head circumference of Nepalese infants and toddlers: a randomized controlled trial

“…1 Brain damage caused by malnutrition at an early age may be difficult to reverse, especially in impoverished settings where adequate stimulation in the home may be difficult to achieve. 16 Given the evidence for nutrition as an important predictor of head circumference and its significance for later cognitive performance [3][4][5][6][7] and the documented nutritional deficiencies in rural Nepal, 17,18 in the present study we use a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of micronutrient supplementation on head circumference in rural Nepali infants and children.…”

“…[3][4][5][6][7] One recent report of critical periods found a strong association between postnatal head growth at 9 months and cognitive functioning at age 9 years, but no relation between head circumference in gestation or at birth with later neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 9 years. 8 Other studies have shown that small head circumference at birth can also predict poor intellectual performance in childhood and adulthood, 9,10 although this relationship appears to depend on the particular cognitive domain.…”

Head circumference in ELBW babies is associated with learning difficulties and cognition but not ADHD in the school‐aged child

“…Although a relation between HC and IQ has been reported in term babies during early infancy (Nelson et al 1970), little has been researched on this issue in ELBW neonates. Our data indicate that the HC at birth is a poor predictor of GCI -16.4, 3.2) at 6 years when measured by the McCarthy Scales (McCarthy 1972).…”