Early Detection of Preschool Health Problems—role of Perinatal Risk Factors

To evaluate a perinatal risk-grouping system, 1 262 4-year-old children went through a comprehensive health examination. A total of 41.5% of the newborns were included in the wide criteria of risk, which were more common among boys and among children of the youngest and oldest mothers. Among the 4-year-old, the frequency of significant physical health problem was 15.8%, including 10.1% visual disturbances and 2% neurological disorders. In some combinations of risk groups and later health problems there were statistically significant correlations, e.g. regarding prematurity and cerebral irritation vs. cerebral palsy, but not sufficient to serve its purpose as a screening instrument. Even the accumulation of especially serious events in the perinatal period gave no clue to later neurological disorders. The addition of low socioeconomic status as a perinatal risk did not influence the outcome either. The reasons for the weak correlation between perinatal risk factors and later outcome of health disorders and handicaps are discussed, and it is concluded that to detect children with health problems, there seems to be no acceptable alternative to a comprehensive health surveillance as part of a general health service programme of all children, including clinical examinations and screening procedures by well trained personnel.