Mamelle N, Lazar P
J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod (Paris). 1979;8(8):703-9.
An allometric study of the relative growth of the head and the body of the fetus and of the newborn shows that there is a more rapid growth of the head in relationship to the length of the fetus before the 30th week of pregnancy and then there is a slowing down between the 30th and the 40th weeks, followed by a re-acceleration after birth for full term infants. This phenomenon is not shown in premature babies born before the 30th week of pregnancy who continue their head growth with the same speed after birth and slow down only for a short time near their theoretical term. These results led to a hypothesis being formed that cephalic growth is slowed down in the uterus because of steric (molecular) congestion, a slow-down that is slightly demonstrated in breech presentations and much later in very premature babies. This opens the way to a discussion on the final results of this phenomenon on the brain.
一项关于胎儿和新生儿头部与身体相对生长的异速生长研究表明，在怀孕第30周之前，胎儿头部相对于其长度的生长速度更快，然后在第30周和第40周之间生长速度减缓，足月婴儿出生后头部生长速度再次加快。这种现象在怀孕第30周前出生的早产儿中并未出现，这些早产儿出生后头部继续以相同速度生长，仅在接近其理论足月时短暂减缓。这些结果导致形成了一种假说，即由于空间（分子）拥挤，子宫内头部生长减缓，这种减缓在臀位分娩中略有体现，在极早产儿中则出现得更晚。这为讨论这一现象对大脑的最终影响开辟了道路。
