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. 2004 Jul;111(7):773-89.
doi: 10.1007/s00702-003-0051-5. Epub 2004 Feb 4.

The aetiology of specific language impairment: no evidence of a role for obstetric complications

M J Merricks  1 , C M Stott, I M Goodyer, P F Bolton
Affiliations

The aetiology of specific language impairment: no evidence of a role for obstetric complications

M J Merricks et al. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2004 Jul.

Abstract

The role of obstetric complications (OC's) in Specific Language Impairment (SLI) has been investigated, but the relationship remains unclear. This study investigates the association between SLI and OC's in a sample of 194 children, participants in a family study of SLI. Initial analyses utilising a traditional case-control approach found no evidence of an association. The effect of changing the case criteria was explored, but the finding of no association remained. The relationship between OC's and various language measures was also investigated using continuous data analytic techniques. This supported the findings of the case control analysis of no association. Previous reports have suggested a specific role for either hypertension or toxaemia in pregnancy. This study found no evidence for an association between these complications of pregnancy and SLI. This study found no evidence to support an aetiological role of OC's in SLI.

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