INFANTILE SPASTIC HEMIPLEGIA IV. BIRTH WEIGHTS

[摘要] This is a study of the birth weights of 190 patients with congenital spastic hemiplegia. Statistical analysis of these birth weights has led to the following conclusions.The total of 190 patients with congenital hemiplegia had a mean birth weight of 6.4 pounds, significantly lower than the mean of normal infants by 0.7 of a pound. Moreover, there were a significantly greater number of birth weights under 5 pounds in this series as compared with normals.There was no significant sex difference either between the means or in the incidence of premature or heavy birth weights in this series.Right hemiplegia births were significantly heavier than left by 0.5 of a pound. Although the ratio of left to right was 1:1 in premature births and in weights between 5 and 8 pounds, the ratio was nearby 1:2 in weights above 8 pounds. It is suggested that preponderance of L.O.A. deliveries may be responsible for the occurrence of more right than left hemiplegias in children of heavy birth weights.The incidence of premature and heavy birth weights was randomly distributed between convulsive and non-convulsive groups; the difference of 0.4 of a pound between the means in favor of the convulsive group was not significant.Birth weights in the educable and mental defective groups did not differ significantly.The frequency distribution of the total group and of most subgroups shows distinctly bimodal curves.The variance, or degree of dispersion, of birth weights is greater in this series of infants than in normal infants.

[学科分类] 儿科学