Watt J
Department of Psychology, University of Auckland.
Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 1989 Aug;29(3 Pt 2):279-87. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1989.tb01743.x.
This paper restricts itself to a discussion of the development of term infants born small, and presumed to have suffered fetal malnutrition. They form a subgroup of low birth weight infants, and have been sparsely studied to date. Investigations have usually failed to differentiate between the kinds of fetal undergrowth exhibited at birth, and it is clear that further understanding of the processes and consequences of early behaviour based on clear categorization of the growth retardation is needed. This together with more systematic investigation of the characteristics of the families of these infants is required before effective efforts can be made to ameliorate the potential effects of fetal malnutrition. The evidence so far suggests that the development of small for gestational age infants is susceptible to environmental intervention despite its physical origins; however we are far from understanding the aetiology and the precise consequences of this complex phenomenon.
本文仅限于讨论足月小样儿（推测为患有胎儿期营养不良）的发育情况。他们是低出生体重儿的一个亚组，迄今为止对其研究较少。以往的调查通常未能区分出生时表现出的不同类型的胎儿生长不足，显然，在对生长迟缓进行明确分类的基础上，进一步了解早期行为的过程和后果是很有必要的。在能够有效努力改善胎儿期营养不良的潜在影响之前，需要对这些婴儿家庭的特征进行更系统的调查。目前的证据表明，尽管胎龄小样儿的发育有其生理根源，但易受环境干预的影响；然而，我们远未了解这一复杂现象的病因及确切后果。
