Infants with low rate of weight gain. II. A study of environmental factors.

Eighty-one infants were investigated to evaluate the clinical significance of low rate of weight gain. An organic etiology was found in 28 infants. The remaining infants were analysed with special respect to their psychosocial environment. Growth was assessed by rate of weight gain. Thirty-four infants had subnormal rates. Comparisons were made with 18 infants with low but normal rates and a control group of 72 infants. Several psychosocial risk factors were overrepresented in infants with subnormal rate of weight gain such as unemployment, ill-health in fathers, dependence on social welfare etc. No significant differences were found in perinatal factors except for birth weight. The magnitude of the load of adverse factors within the family was measured as a score. A significant negative correlation was found between the score obtained and the rate of weight gain.