ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the associations of minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) symptoms with characteristics of the neonatal and infancy (through 1 year of age) periods. The frequencies of MBD symptoms were determined for children in which staining of amniotic fluid, membranes, cord, the infant itself, or other evidence of meconium discharge prior to delivery was observed. The MBD cohort was meant to exclude children with severe neurological abnormalities, and cases with a history of focal-motor, complex, and nonfebrile seizures between 1 and 7 years of age were eliminated. The most significant associations between persistence and MBD symptoms were found when the “mild” and extreme ratings were combined. The infants were rated on an activity level scale similar to the 7-year scale used for derivation of the MBD factor scores. In the MBD cohort 276 children (70% white) were given either a definite or suspect diagnosis of hypotonia.
