EAP 2019 Congress and MasterCourse

Small-For-Gestational Age Infants for Birth Weight and their Long-Term Effect on Scholastic Achievement and Intellectual Ability

author.DisplayName 1 author.DisplayName 1 author.DisplayName 1 author.DisplayName 2 author.DisplayName 3 author.DisplayName 4 author.DisplayName 4 author.DisplayName 5 author.DisplayName 5 author.DisplayName 6,7 author.DisplayName 7 author.DisplayName 1
1Human Nutrition Area, Nutrition and Neurological Sciences, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology Dr. Fernando Monckeberg Barros (INTA), University of Chile, Chile
2Faculty of Social Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Chile
3Laboratory of Physical Anthropology and Human Anatomy, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Chile
4Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nutrition, University of Chile, Chile
5Facultad de Medicina-Clínica Alemana, Radiology Department, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile
6Facultad de Medicina-Clínica Alemana, Departamento de Imágenes, Unidad de Imágenes Cuantitativas Avanzadas, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile
7División de Neurociencia, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (neuroSIS), Universidad del Desarrollo, Facultad de Gobierno, Chile

Background and aim: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) may experience poorer long-term neurological and cognitive outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term effect of to be born SGA for birth weight on later scholastic achievement (SA) and intellectual ability (IA).

Methods: From a representative, proportional and stratified sample of 1,353 school-age children, of both sexes, enrolled in the 5th grade of elementary school and in the 1st grade of high school in the Metropolitan Region of Chile in 2010, their birth weights (n= 814) were classified as small (SGA), appropriate (AGA) and large-for-gestational age (LGE) according to Alarcón y Pittaluga Tables. SA was assessed by means of the 2009 Quality Education Measurement System (SIMCE) and IA, by the Raven Progressive Matrices Test. Socioeconomic stratus (SES) was measured by Graffar Modified Method. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Bonferroni’s test for comparison of means and Spearman correlation from the SAS software.

Results: Independently of SES, SGA children exhibited, in the long-term, significantly lower SIMCE outcomes in mathematics (F= 3.93; P= 0.0201) and natural sciences (F= 4.19; P= 0.0156) and IA (F= 4.23; P=0.0150) than their AGA and LGA peers.

Conclusion: These findings confirm that SGA children have in the long term significantly lower SA and IA. These results can be useful for health and educational planning.

Grants FONDECYT 1100431 and 1150524









Powered by Eventact EMS