This study investigated the specific learning abilities and general adjustment of 50 children, 5-14 years of age, who had pyloric stenosis (PS) in infancy, compared to 44 siblings and 50 matched control children. PS involves a period of brief starvation in early infancy, unrelated to socioeconomic conditions and is surgically correctable. The major questions posed by this study were: Does a defined period of starvation occuring within the first 3 months after birth have an effect on subsequent learning abilities and general adjustment? (2) If so, which specific abilities are most affected? All learning abilities measured were significantly correlated with the degree of starvation severity in infancy. Starvation causing a reduction of over 10 percent of the expected body weight in infancy was associated with poorer learning abilities, especially those involving short term memory and attention. (Author/CS)