[Birth weight, health status and physical development of young men after 20 years].

: The aim of the study was to assess the health status and physical development of young men with low birth weight (LBW) compared to normal birth weight (NBW). The study was based on the birth cohort of children born in Warsaw at six obstetric wards in 1970-74. The data from the medical records of military conscription units, concerning 682 persons with LBW and 408 persons with NBW, were taken for comparison. Mean height and weight of LBW persons were lower then for those with NBW, with similar weight-for-height proportions. The prevalence of hearing loss was higher among LBW then NBW individuals despite similar rates of ear disorders assessed at the mid-point of the follow-up. Also, neurological disorders were more prevalent among LBW then NBW individuals at the time of conscription, which could not be fully ascribed to the possible birth injuries.