The effects of infantile malnutrition on behavioral development: a follow-up study

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Abstract
Thirty-one children and young adults who had been severely malnourished in infancy due to intestinal disease, were compared with sibling controls for psychometric intelligence, academic performance as judged by teacher ratings, and developmental history as judged by parental questionnaires. Older members of the sample were also examined on the Lincoln-Oseretzky Motor Development Scale and by a brief psychiatric interview. There were no significant differences between patients and controls on any outcome measure. Furthermore, previously malnourished individuals were performing at or above age equivalent norms on all psychological tests. The findings suggest that the adverse behavioral effects of severe infantile malnutrition observed in children below the age of 5 yr are, to a large extent, compensated during development when the children are raised in supportive home and school environments.