据路透社3月15日报道，英国沃里克大学的研究人员对1983年至2001年出生在英格兰东南部地区的12万名儿童进行了调查。他们发现，出生时体重越轻的婴儿，那么日后他就更可能被列入到儿童保护的名册中去。

　　这份保护名册里所记录的包括一些曾受到身体和或心理虐待的儿童，或被忽视的儿童；还有一些孩子虽然没有受到伤害，但是他的家庭环境中有记录在案的性犯罪者。

　　对此，沃里克大学的教授尼克·斯宾塞说，以前的研究证实，出生时体重较轻和儿童受到虐待、被忽视这两者间存在某种联系。斯宾塞补充说，研究显示，儿童遭受虐待的危险还有等级之分，出生时体重越低或者胎儿在母体中的时间越短，那么其日后受到虐待的危险就越大。他说：“我们能证明，当你越接近所谓的正常出生体重（3500克至4500克之间）时，危险也会相应地下降。”

　　报道说，研究人员目前尚不清楚，为何出生时体形较轻会增加孩子日后被双亲虐待的危险。但斯宾塞表示，体形小的婴儿可能会让父母感觉更难抚养，因此增加了他们的挫败感。

　　这项研究的具体内容被发表在新一期的《流行病学和公共卫生杂志》上。

　　Premature and low birth-weight babies seem to have a higherriskof suffering from abuse and neglect, scientists saidonWednesday.

　　In a study of 120,000 children born in southeast Englandfrom1983-2001, researchers from the University of Warwick foundthatthe lower the birth weight, the more likely a child would beplacedon a protection register.

　　It confirms previous work that suggests an associationbetweenlow birth weight and child abuse and neglect, saidtheuniversitys Professor Nick Spencer.

　　Children put on the protection register include those whohavebeen physically and/or emotionally abused or neglectedandyoungsters who have not been harmed but who live in ahouseholdwith a registered sex offender.

　　Spencer added that the study published in the JournalofEpidemiology and Community Health showed that the risk of abuseisgraded, so the lower the birth weight and gestation, or time inthewomb, the higher the risk.

　　We are able to demonstrate that this risk falls as you getnearerto what is called the optimum birth weight, somewherebetween3,500-4,500 grams (7.6 to 9.8 lbs), Spencer added inaninterview.

　　The researchers do not know why being born small seems toraisethe risk of being abused but Spencer said tiny babies may bemoredifficult to handle and could increase parentalfrustration.