European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 45 (1992) 165-167
165
0 1992 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 0028-2243/92/$05.00 EUROBS 01371
Medical complications in pregnancy and delivery of gifted children Etan Z. Zimmer,
Moshe Bronshtein
and Pnina Dorphman
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center Technion, Faculty of Medicine, Ha(fa, Israel
Accepted for publication 9 March 1992
Summary
A questionnaire on medical complications in pregnancy, labor and delivery was given to 195 families of gifted children. 156 (80%) answered the questionnaire. The incidence of medical disorders in this group did not differ from the accepted incidence in a normal obstetric population. There was a sex ratio of 71.5% boys and 28.5% girls, and a higher probability of another gifted child in these families. Gifted child; Medical complication; Pregnancy; Delivery
Introduction
The correlation between the intellectual performance of a child and perinatal events has been mainly studied in children with intellectual impairment. Data on gifted children is much more limited [1,2]. The aim of our study was to evaluate from an obstetrical point of view the incidence of medical disorders in pregnancy, labor and delivery of gifted children. Method
A questionnaire was given to 195 families of children who are taught in a special school for the gifted in the City of Haifa, Israel. In the questionnaire a list of the main perina-
tal disorders was given. Parents were also asked to inform us on any additional information which they believe to be of importance. Results
One hundred and fifty-six families (80%) answered the questionnaire. There were 113 boys and 45 girls with an age ranging from 9 to 17 years. Table 1 summarizes the main medical disorders which were recorded. There were two pairs of siblings in the study group. Eight families reported on one other gifted child at home who had graduated from school or decided not to be taught in the special classes for the gifted. Discussion
Correspondence
to: Etan Z. Zimmer
M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, 630 West 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA.
The incidence of medical disorders that was reported in the study group did not differ from the accepted incidence in a normal obstetric pop-
166 TABLE I Medical complications during pregnancy and delivery
Hyperemesis gravidarum Uterine bleeding I & II trimester Pre-eclampsia Gestational diabetes Prolonged ruptured membranes Premature delivery < 37 weeks Post date > 42 weeks Non-progressive or prolonged labor Fetal distress Outlet forceps Vacuum extraction Cesarean section
No. Cases
%
17 12
10.7 7.6 3.1 1.2 0.6 3.8 2.5
2 6 4 15 10 10 6 11
9.5 6.3 6.3 3.8
ulation. This is in agreement with the study of Terman [l] which was originally published in 1926. Likewise, Fisch et al. [2] noted that there were no differences in the perinatal factors of children with an IQ > 120 and children with an IQ between 80 and 119. Dale [3], who studied children with an above average intelligence, found that there was a significant number of early births (1 to 21 days before term). However, this study group was unique, as no case with a history of antenatal abnormality, instrumental delivery or cesarean section was included. Superior IQ was also anecdotally reported in children who suffered from extreme birth asphyxia [41. In our study group there were no cases with severe medical disorders such as separation of the placenta or extreme growth retardation. However, based on previous reports and also our data it seems that at least mild and moderate perinatal complications are not correlated with superior intelligence. In Israel, the assessment of gifted children is done by the following aptitude tests; vocabulary, figural analogies, numerics, general knowledge and numerical analogies. The results of the tests are confidential. As such, we do not know how many children took the tests, neither do we know the sex ratio between those who passed the test and what was the number of families which decided not to send their child to special classes for
the gifted. In our study population, the sex ratio was 71.5% for boys to 28.5% for girls. This is similar to the sex ratio noted in the study of Terman [ 11. It is well documented that sex differences do exist in the performance on aptitude tests between girls and boys. Lewis [5] studied gifted children and found that boys performed better in vocabulary, memory and spatial skills, and that girls performed better on tasks involving visual memory. O’Tuel [6] did a series of studies in which he found significant differences in the boys’ test performance on figural units and vocabulary, whereas girls performed significantly better than boys on verbal units. These results may indicate that serious consideration ought to be given to the type of test administered, in that the very process of test selection may be a source of bias. Additionally, the process of student selection, albeit male or female, may also tend to lead to the results obtained. That is, since it is most often the case that the male child may be the recipient of more reinforcement than a female child, the development of gifted children may be one of focused reinforcement rather than individual aptitude. In ten of the families involved in this study there were 90 gifted children. We know that giftedness runs in families [1,7,8]. In Terman’s study, the number of families with two gifted children was more than 1200 times the chance of expectancy. Silverman [S] found that gifted children have gifted parents and approximately two thirds of siblings were within ten IQ l.~$@ Nthough this is significant, no study has been performed which addressed the exact mode of inheritance within family lineages. In summary, there is no difference in the pregnancies of the mothers of gifted and non-gifted children. However, no one has figured out yet how to separate nature and nurture. References 1 Terman LM. Genetic studies of the genius. Stanford University Press, 1988. 2 Fisch RO, Bilek MK, Horrobin JM, Chang PN. Intelligence at 7 years of age: a prospective study of the influence of
167
perinatal, medical, and socioeconomic factors. Am J Dis Child 1976:130:481-487. 3 Dale MH. Intelligent children and early births. Practitioner 1967:198:838-841. 4 Fysh WJ, Turner GM, Dunn PM. Neurological normality after extreme birth asphyxia: case report. Br J Obstet Gynecol 1982:89:24-26. 5 Lewis M, Feiring C, McGuffog C. Profiles of young gifted and normal children: Skills and abilities as related to sex
and handedness. Topic Early Childhood Special Education 1986;6:9-22. 6 O’Tuel FS. Sex differences on the structure of intellect (Sol-LA) gifted screening form. Gift Child Quarter 1989;33:73-75. 7 Albert RS. Exceptionally gifted boys and their parents. Gift Child Quarter 1980;24:174-179. 8 Silverman LK. The second child syndrome. Mensa Bulletin 1988;320:18-20.
165
0 1992 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 0028-2243/92/$05.00 EUROBS 01371
Medical complications in pregnancy and delivery of gifted children Etan Z. Zimmer,
Moshe Bronshtein
and Pnina Dorphman
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center Technion, Faculty of Medicine, Ha(fa, Israel
Accepted for publication 9 March 1992
Summary
A questionnaire on medical complications in pregnancy, labor and delivery was given to 195 families of gifted children. 156 (80%) answered the questionnaire. The incidence of medical disorders in this group did not differ from the accepted incidence in a normal obstetric population. There was a sex ratio of 71.5% boys and 28.5% girls, and a higher probability of another gifted child in these families. Gifted child; Medical complication; Pregnancy; Delivery
Introduction
The correlation between the intellectual performance of a child and perinatal events has been mainly studied in children with intellectual impairment. Data on gifted children is much more limited [1,2]. The aim of our study was to evaluate from an obstetrical point of view the incidence of medical disorders in pregnancy, labor and delivery of gifted children. Method
A questionnaire was given to 195 families of children who are taught in a special school for the gifted in the City of Haifa, Israel. In the questionnaire a list of the main perina-
tal disorders was given. Parents were also asked to inform us on any additional information which they believe to be of importance. Results
One hundred and fifty-six families (80%) answered the questionnaire. There were 113 boys and 45 girls with an age ranging from 9 to 17 years. Table 1 summarizes the main medical disorders which were recorded. There were two pairs of siblings in the study group. Eight families reported on one other gifted child at home who had graduated from school or decided not to be taught in the special classes for the gifted. Discussion
Correspondence
to: Etan Z. Zimmer
M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, 630 West 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA.
The incidence of medical disorders that was reported in the study group did not differ from the accepted incidence in a normal obstetric pop-
166 TABLE I Medical complications during pregnancy and delivery
Hyperemesis gravidarum Uterine bleeding I & II trimester Pre-eclampsia Gestational diabetes Prolonged ruptured membranes Premature delivery < 37 weeks Post date > 42 weeks Non-progressive or prolonged labor Fetal distress Outlet forceps Vacuum extraction Cesarean section
No. Cases
%
17 12
10.7 7.6 3.1 1.2 0.6 3.8 2.5
2 6 4 15 10 10 6 11
9.5 6.3 6.3 3.8
ulation. This is in agreement with the study of Terman [l] which was originally published in 1926. Likewise, Fisch et al. [2] noted that there were no differences in the perinatal factors of children with an IQ > 120 and children with an IQ between 80 and 119. Dale [3], who studied children with an above average intelligence, found that there was a significant number of early births (1 to 21 days before term). However, this study group was unique, as no case with a history of antenatal abnormality, instrumental delivery or cesarean section was included. Superior IQ was also anecdotally reported in children who suffered from extreme birth asphyxia [41. In our study group there were no cases with severe medical disorders such as separation of the placenta or extreme growth retardation. However, based on previous reports and also our data it seems that at least mild and moderate perinatal complications are not correlated with superior intelligence. In Israel, the assessment of gifted children is done by the following aptitude tests; vocabulary, figural analogies, numerics, general knowledge and numerical analogies. The results of the tests are confidential. As such, we do not know how many children took the tests, neither do we know the sex ratio between those who passed the test and what was the number of families which decided not to send their child to special classes for
the gifted. In our study population, the sex ratio was 71.5% for boys to 28.5% for girls. This is similar to the sex ratio noted in the study of Terman [ 11. It is well documented that sex differences do exist in the performance on aptitude tests between girls and boys. Lewis [5] studied gifted children and found that boys performed better in vocabulary, memory and spatial skills, and that girls performed better on tasks involving visual memory. O’Tuel [6] did a series of studies in which he found significant differences in the boys’ test performance on figural units and vocabulary, whereas girls performed significantly better than boys on verbal units. These results may indicate that serious consideration ought to be given to the type of test administered, in that the very process of test selection may be a source of bias. Additionally, the process of student selection, albeit male or female, may also tend to lead to the results obtained. That is, since it is most often the case that the male child may be the recipient of more reinforcement than a female child, the development of gifted children may be one of focused reinforcement rather than individual aptitude. In ten of the families involved in this study there were 90 gifted children. We know that giftedness runs in families [1,7,8]. In Terman’s study, the number of families with two gifted children was more than 1200 times the chance of expectancy. Silverman [S] found that gifted children have gifted parents and approximately two thirds of siblings were within ten IQ l.~$@ Nthough this is significant, no study has been performed which addressed the exact mode of inheritance within family lineages. In summary, there is no difference in the pregnancies of the mothers of gifted and non-gifted children. However, no one has figured out yet how to separate nature and nurture. References 1 Terman LM. Genetic studies of the genius. Stanford University Press, 1988. 2 Fisch RO, Bilek MK, Horrobin JM, Chang PN. Intelligence at 7 years of age: a prospective study of the influence of
167
perinatal, medical, and socioeconomic factors. Am J Dis Child 1976:130:481-487. 3 Dale MH. Intelligent children and early births. Practitioner 1967:198:838-841. 4 Fysh WJ, Turner GM, Dunn PM. Neurological normality after extreme birth asphyxia: case report. Br J Obstet Gynecol 1982:89:24-26. 5 Lewis M, Feiring C, McGuffog C. Profiles of young gifted and normal children: Skills and abilities as related to sex
and handedness. Topic Early Childhood Special Education 1986;6:9-22. 6 O’Tuel FS. Sex differences on the structure of intellect (Sol-LA) gifted screening form. Gift Child Quarter 1989;33:73-75. 7 Albert RS. Exceptionally gifted boys and their parents. Gift Child Quarter 1980;24:174-179. 8 Silverman LK. The second child syndrome. Mensa Bulletin 1988;320:18-20.
