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Explicit memory in low-risk infants aged 19 months born between 27 and 42 weeks of gestation
M de Haan1, P J Bauer, M K Georgieff
1Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK. m.de-haan@ich.ucl.ac.uk
Insights
Preterm birth, even in low-risk infants, can impact explicit memory development. Children born prematurely showed deficits in ordered recall compared to full-term infants.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Preterm birth is a significant concern affecting infant development.
- The long-term cognitive effects of prematurity, especially in low-risk populations, require further investigation.
- Explicit memory development is crucial for learning and cognitive function in early childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the primary effects of prematurity on explicit memory development in low-risk infants.
- To compare memory recall abilities between preterm and term infants at 19 months corrected age.
- To identify potential cognitive deficits associated with varying degrees of preterm birth.
Main Methods:
- Utilized elicited imitation of action sequences to assess memory.
- Compared immediate and 15-minute delayed memory recall.
- Studied a cohort of 48 infants (19 months corrected age) categorized as term, moderately preterm (35-37 weeks gestation), and very preterm (27-34 weeks gestation).
Main Results:
- Very preterm infants (27-34 weeks gestation) demonstrated significantly lower ordered recall compared to term infants.
- Infants born at 35-37 weeks gestation showed intermediate memory performance, not significantly different from the other groups.
- These findings indicate a dose-dependent effect of prematurity on memory recall.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth is associated with specific cognitive deficits in explicit memory, even in the absence of significant medical or social risk factors.
- The degree of prematurity may influence the severity of cognitive impairments.
- Early identification and intervention for cognitive development in preterm infants are crucial.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine whether there are primary effects of prematurity on the development of explicit memory. Elicited imitation of action sequences was used to compare immediate and 15-minute delayed memory in term and preterm infants (19 months corrected age; n=48) who were at low risk: none had experienced the medical or social risk factors often associated with preterm birth. Relative to infants born at term (38 to 40 weeks' gestation), children who had been born at 27 to 34 weeks' gestation showed lower levels of ordered recall; performance of healthy infants born at 35 to 37 weeks' gestation was intermediate and did not differ significantly from that of the other groups. These results suggest that specific cognitive deficits can occur as a function of preterm birth even in low-risk infants.