Premium
Anthropometry and Novelty Preference in Infants
Author(s) -
AubuchonEndsley Nicki Lynn,
Thomas David G.,
Kennedy Tay S.,
Grant Stephanie,
Hullmann Stephanie,
Robison Holly,
Elias Danielle,
LaFaver Judith
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.766.6
Subject(s) - anthropometry , novelty , medicine , pediatrics , demography , standard score , preference , psychology , statistics , mathematics , social psychology , sociology
This study investigated the statistical utility of infant anthropometric variables as predictors of short‐term memory as assessed using a visual novelty preference paradigm in a sample of 87 breast fed infants. Anthropometric variables were standardized weight‐for‐age (WAZ) and length‐for‐age (LAZ) z‐scores; novelty preference was measured as the novelty quotient (NQ), the percent of time spent looking at the novel of two faces. NQs > 50% were achieved by 47%, 65%, and 68% of infants at 3, 6, and 9 months, respectively. WAZ at 3 months ranged from −2.40 to +2.45 (mean = −0.03). LAZ ranged from −3.01 to +3.13 (mean = −0.09). WAZ at 3 months predicted NQ at 3 months (r = 0.29, p = .014) and 6 months (r = 0.23, p = .038), but not at 9 months. LAZ did not correlate significantly with NQ at any age. Twelve of the 87 infants had 3‐month WAZ < −1.00 and 13 > +1.00. For these infants, WAZ and NQ at 3 months correlated at r = 0.52, p = .018. These data support the contention that growth in early infancy is predictive of cognitive development even in well‐nourished, low‐risk infants. Supported by National Research Initiative Grant 2008‐35200‐18779 from the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture.