This introductory critical review addresses childhood malnutrition and its relation to child behavioral development. Methodological issues concerning the study of this relationship are presented. Implications of psychometric and epidemiological studies are pointed, focusing on results obtained with cognitive scales and the most common statistical measurement. The relevance of behavioral technology for functional analysis of the malnourished children development is emphasized. Its importance is also pointed for the elucidation of the effects of environmental intervention towards the establishment of favorable conditions for behavioral development.
Malnutrition; Behavior; Child development; Developmental evaluation; Behavioral technology