The Relation of Severe Malnutrition in Infancy to the Intelligence of School Children with Differing Life Histories

Abstract

Departments of Pediatrics and Communiry Health, Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research in Mental Rerardarion and Human Development, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, U S AExtract control subjects have been inadequate to control many of the factors known or postulated to influence the intellectual developThe IQ's of Jamaican boys aged 6-10 were associated signifi-ment of children. The inability to obtain adequate controls cantly with the presence or absence of severe malnutrition in suggests that it is necessary to examine an episode of severe infancy, with height at time of IQ testing, and with a measure of the malnutrition in infancy in the context of a child's overall life boys' social background. A multiple correlation coefficient of 0.674 history and determine under what circumstances and conditions was obtained between 1Q and the three factors. Social background severe malnutrition in infancy is associated with mental impaircontributed 0.294 of the variance, height 0.112, and severe malnu-ment at older ages. The selection of which background factors in a trition 0.049. The two extreme groups of boys, i.e., those mahour-child's history are chosen for study must be based on a considerarished, small at follow-up, and with unfavorable social back-tion of what and biologic factors influence intellectual grounds and those not malnourished, tall at follow-up, and with development, favorable social backgrounds had average IQ's of 49.4 and 74.9,The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which respectively (from Table 5). Only two of the boys in the most intelligence of school age boys is related to the presence or absence advantaged group had IQ scores that overlapped with the most of severe malnutrition in their infancy, their overall life history of disadvantaged group. Boys with severe malnutrition in infancy, nutrition, and the and economic conditions they have but who are tall at follow-up and have a favorable social back-experienced during their upbringing, This is one of a series o f ground have an average IQ 11 points higher than boys who did reports of a study of Jamaican boys (10,(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). not experience severe malnutrition, but who are short a t followup and have a unfavorable social background. The difference in SUBJECTS A N D METHODS I Q between boys who did and did not experience severe malnutrition in infancy varies under different conditions of height Seventy-four Jamaican boys were selected who had been treated and social background when those are held constant for both in a hospital for severe malnutrition during their first 2 years of life groups. Under the most favorable conditions of being tall (hereafter referred to as "index cases"). The malnutrition was and having an advantageous social history the average I Q of reflected variously in syndromes of marasmus, kwashiorkor, or the malnourished boys is only 2 points lower than those not mal-marasmic kwashiorkor. Evidence of the malnutrition was obtained nourished. Under the most unfavorable conditions...

Additional Notes on the Use of Analytic Isoelectric Focusing for the Detection of Cystic Fibrosis Protein in Serum

“…n c have incorporated several methodologic improvements into the isoelectric focusing technicluc (3). 'l'hesc improvcmcnts have significantly enhanced the resolution anel have thus cn;~hlcd us to demonstrate a greater degree of heterogeneity of serum y-globulins than is visible in the paper of Wilsoll c3/ (11.…”

Nutrition and Mental Development in Children

“…For older children differ ences were not present. Richardson (1976) studied 71 Jamaican schoolboys with a history of early severe malnutrition. Only the children who had inade quate growth and a poor social background after their episode of malnutrition continued to be retarded in comparison with siblings, whereas those with either adequate growth or a good home environment did not continue to show retarded development.…”

Effects of early nutrition on neurological and mental competence in human beings

“…Where chronic nutritional deprivation is combined with social deprivation, however, cognitive performance in childhood is likely to be depressed. Whether such deficits persist into adulthood is not known, but examples of rehabilitation (Richardson, 1976;Grantham-McGregor el al. 1978Hertzig et al 1972;McLaren et al 1973;Graham & Adrianzen, 1971) make one reasonably optimistic that improvement could take place at older ages.…”

“…These impairments of nutrition did not engender detectable mental impairment. In other studies episodes of acute nutritional failure in children reared in severely deprived environments gave rise to apparent deficits in mental performance, but these have seemed to recover with food and mental stimulation (Richardson, 1976;Grantham-McGregor et al 1980). In further studies the effect of food supplementation was tested experimentally among children exposed to chronic malnutrition.…”

“…In combination with a lack of intellectual and social stimulation, however, such malnutrition does appear to depress mental performance (Richardson, 1976;Grantham-McGregor et al 1980;Chavez & Martinez, 1975). This conclusion rests on an array of observations.…”