A retrospective study of the relationship between birth history and handedness at six years

Bakan's hypothesis that sinistrality is caused by perinatal insult was investigated by attempting to relate the handedness of 1094 six-year-old children to many aspects of their birth history ascertained from hospital records. Handedness of the children and their families was obtained by questionnaire. A secular increase in the frequency of sinistrality was noted, from 6.2% among grandparents to 17.5% among the children. More boys were left-handed than girls. Only two aspects of birth history predisposed to sinistrality: boys born by breech delivery and children born to primiparous mothers over 38 years old were more likely to be left-handed.