A Dose of Medical News #3.2.3 - Baby resuscitation 'linked to IQ'

Children resuscitated at birth are more likely to have a low IQ by the age of eight, even if they appear healthy as babies, research has suggested.

The study compared babies who were resuscitated at birth - some needing further care, but others not - with those who had a problem-free delivery.

It suggests even mild problems around delivery may be enough to cause subtle damage to the brain.

The study, by Bristol's Southmead Hospital, appears in the Lancet.

It is based on children who were part in a long-term research project known as the Children of the 90s study.

The researchers defined a low IQ as being less than 80.