THE POOR HEALTH OF THE DISADVANTAGED CHILD IS A PRIMARY VARIABLE IN HIS EDUCATIONAL FAILURE. AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF HEALTH STUDIES SHOWS THAT NEGROES, PUERTO RICANS, AND INDIANS SUFFER FROM THE GREATEST HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE HEALTH FACTORS WHICH THESE STUDIES FOUND TO RELATE SPECIFICALLY TO INTELLECTUAL AND EDUCATIONAL DEFICITS ARE PREMATURITY, OBSTETRICAL AND PERINATAL COMPLICATIONS, BIRTH WEIGHT, MATERNAL PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND NUTRITION, AND PRENATAL CARE. THEY ALSO SHOW THAT, A SYSTEMATIC RELATIONSHIP EXISTS AFTER BIRTH BETWEEN A CHILD'S NUTRITIONAL INADEQUACY AND BOTH NEUROLOGICAL MATURATION AND LEARNING COMPETENCY. ALTHOUGH SEVERE MALNUTRITION IN THE UNITED STATES IS RARE, SUBCLINICAL MALNUTRITION AMONG LOW-INCOME GROUPS (PARTICULARLY IRON DEFICIENCY) MAY BE A FACTOR IN THEIR HIGHER CHILDHOOD MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY RATES, AS WELL AS IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NEGROES AND WHITES. MALNUTRITION AND MALDEVELOPMENT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE DISADVANTAGED CHILD'S NERVOUS SYSTEM AND, THEREFORE, HIS LEARNING POTENTIAL. SUCH IMPAIRMENT IS A PRIMARY HANDICAP WHICH CAN BE ONLY PARTLY REMEDIATED BECAUSE THE EFFECTS OF A BIOSOCIAL PATHOLOGY CAUSE DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN TO SUFFER FROM LOST LEARNING TIME, NUTRITIONAL DEFICIT DURING CRITICAL LEARNING PERIODS, AND ADVERSE MOTIVATION AND PERSONALITY CHANGES. IN INTERVENING TO PROVIDE THE BEST LEARNING CONDITIONS FOR THE DISADVANTAGED CHILD, EDUCATORS SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHILD'S HEALTH TO HIS LEARNING EFFECTIVELY. (NH)