Malnutrition and behavior

Before you can draw firm conclusions that malnutrition per se is the cause of mental subnormality, you must complete analyses from on-going longitudinal studies in order to clarify the role of parental interaction with malnourished child and of the social environmental factors which accompany malnutrition.

Abstract

Severe malnutrition during the fetal or infancy period in animals and humans decreases brain size, reduces the number of brain cells, and results in behavioral abnormalities. The relationship between lesser degrees of malnutrition and intellectual development is more complex. Social, genetic, and other factors assume greater roles under the latter conditions. Before we can draw firm conclusions that malnutrition per se is the cause of mental subnormality, we must complete analyses from on-going longitudinal studies in order to clarify the role of parental interaction with malnourished child and of the social environmental factors which accompany malnutrition.