ABSTRACT
The data base was collected as part of the Collaborative Perinatal Project, a prospective investigation of the developmental consequences of complications in pregnancy and the perinatal period. Between 1959 and 1974, offspring from 53,000 pregnancies were followed from gestation through age 8 by multi-disciplinary research teams in 12 medical centers. Women in the study were representative of the patients receiving prenatal care in the participating centers. Mental retardation was an abnormal outcome of special interest as were cerebral palsy, congenital malformations, and learning disorders. Causes of prematurity and of perinatal death and factors related to physical and cognitive growth were also investigated. The concept of a continuum of reproductive casualty, referred to earlier, was a major influence in the initiation and design of the Collaborative Project. The methodology and findings from this large-scale longitudinal study are described in several comprehensive reports (Broman, 1984; Broman, Bien, & Shaughnessy, 1985; Broman, Nichols, & Kennedy, 1975; Hardy, Drage, & Jackson, 1979; Lassman, Fisch, Vetter, & LaBenz, 1980; Nichols & Chen, 1981; Niswander & Gordon, 1972).
