A Study of One Year's Development of Children Who have Experienced Abnormality at the Time of Pregnancy or Perinatal Period (3 rd Report)

Abstract

The present writer will report the results of a follow-up study of the development of newborn babies during the first four, eight, and twelve months after birth with the object of examining the relationships between the abnormality at the time of pregnancy, perinatal period, or nursling period and the mental development of children themselves. (1) There is no correlation in the developments either of the pedal and manual functions, the language, the emotion, the intelligence, or the social adaptation of the babies. (2) There is no correlation between the developments of the above-mentioned functions, either. (3) There is no correlation between the mental development and the physical development (weight), either. (4) In the relationship between the mother's abnormality and the child's development, it has been found that toxemia of pregnancy, anemia, delivery by means of absorption, Caesarian operation, etc. have nothing to do with the mental development of the child. (5) In the relationship between the child's abnormality and his development it has been found that his prematurity, asphyxia, icterus, etc. have nothing to do with his regular mental development. Especially, many children born in asphyxia have been found to take advanced rank in the developments of manual function, language, emotion, and intelligence, anb this fact backs up Mr. Tsuno, s statement to the effect that, if appropriate care is taken of the mother in pregnancy, the delivery process and the newborn child, asphyxia will do no harm to the intellectual development of the child. No factor has been found supporting the accepted view that asphyxia does harm to the intellectual development of the bady. In short, no more significant relationship can be observed between the abnormality in pregnancy, perinatal period, or babyhood and the mental development of newborn children themselves than, as pointed out in the 2nd Report, between the former and the physical development of children.