Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Based on the postulate that there is a continuum of reproductive casualty, it was hypothesized that potentially stressful perinatal experiences would subsequently produce measurable effects on certain psychologic tests in the children studied. Prospectively gathered data from 386 neurologically normal 7-year-old children were reviewed, and a perinatal stress score was derived for each by a simple count of deviant symptoms during pregnancy, delivery, and puerperium. Results marginally supported the concept of continuum of reproductive casualty but were neither clear nor systematic. The perinatal stress score may have been contaminated with items of little or no significance, which would have decreased its discriminating power.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bailey, M. : Toxemia of pregnancy: cognitive and emotional effects in children from consistent and non-consistent environments. Paper presented at the meeting of the Amer. Psychol. Assn., New York, 1966.

Clements, S. : Minimal Brain Dysfunction in Children. NINDB Monogr. No. 3. Washington, D.C.: Govt. Printing Office, 1966.

Collaborative Research Branch, Natl. Inst. Neurol. Dis. and Blindness : COLR Manuals for 8-Month, 4-Year, 7-Year Psychological Examination. Bethesda, Md.: NINDB, 1961, 1963a, 1966.

Collaborative Research Branch, Natl. Inst. Neurol. Dis. and Blindness: COLR Manual for Case Selection and Processing. Bethesda, Md.: NINDB, 1963. (b)

Graham, F. K., et al. : Development three years after perinatal anoxia and other potentially damaging newborn experiences. Psychol. Monogr. 1962, 76, whole No. 522.

Harris, D. B. : Children's Drawings as Measures of Intellectual Maturity: A Revision and Extension of the Goodenough Draw-a-Man Test. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1963.

Herbert, M. : The concept and testing of brain-damage in children: a review. J. Child Psychol. Psychiat. 1964, 5, 197–216.

Klatskin, E. H. : Relationship of deficits in intelligence test performance of preschool children to perinatal experience. J. Consult. Psychol. 1964, 28, 228–233.

Koppitz, E. : The Bender-Gestalt Test for Young Children. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1964.

10.

MacKeith, R. C. & Bax, M. (Eds.) : Minimal Cerebral Dysfunction. (Papers from Internat. Study Group, Oxford, Sept., 1962.) London: William Heinemann, 1963.

11.

McCarthy, J. & Kirk, S. : The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, Exper. Ed.: Examiners Manual. Urbana, Ill.: Univer. of Ill. Press, 1961.

12.

Mendelson, M. : Interdisciplinary approach to the study of the exceptional infant: a large scale research project. In J. Hellmuth (Ed.), Exceptional Infant, Vol. 1. Seattle, Wash.: Special Child Publ., 1967.

13.

Pasamanick, B. & Knobloch, H. : Brain damage and reproductive casualty. Amer. J. Orthopsychiat., 1960, 30, 298–305.

14.

Work, H. H. & Haldane, J. E. : Cerebral dysfunction in children: a review. Amer. J. Dis. Child., 1966, 111, 573–580.

Psychometric Deficits Related to Perinatal Stress

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References