PEDIATRICS Vol. 38 No. 2 August 1966, pp. 334-340
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The Present Study

AN exploration of the effects of early malnutrition on the development of neurointegrative functioning in school children can of course be carried out definitively only by means of a prospective longitudinal study of children at risk and of appropriately selected control subjects. We are currently engaged in conducting such an investigation. However, since the findings of a prospective longitudinal study become available only after a long period of delay, it was decided that a certain amount of pertinent information could be obtained through a carefully conducted cross-sectional retrospective study of neurointegrative organization in children of school age. The present monograph is the result of such an investigation.

To explore the effects of malnutrition on neurointegrative development it was decided to carry out a cross-sectional study of intersensory functioning in the total population of primary school children in a village in which detailed prior information indicated the presence of a significant prevalence level of serious acute or prolonged malnutrition during infancy and the pre-school years. For purposes of the investigation malnutrition was defined retrospectively on the basis of height for age in all children ranging in age from 6 to 11 years. When the child showed a significant diminution of stature with respect to his age-mates in the total village population of children, he was assumed to have an increased likelihood of having been at earlier risk of malnutrition. On this basis, at each age level, a group of children representing the lowest 25% of the height distribution was identified and designated as the group having the greatest likelihood of having been at earlier nutritional risk.