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[School maladjustment common among children with very low birth weight Special attention and support are required
O Finnström1, I Leijon, S Samuelsson
1Barn- och ungdomsmedicinska kliniken, Universitetssjukhuset, Linköping. Orvar.Finnstrom@lio.se
Insights
Very low birth weight (VLBW) children showed developmental delays and behavioral issues compared to normal birth weight (NBW) peers. However, these differences largely vanished when non-verbal intelligence was comparable between groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants face increased risks for developmental challenges.
- Long-term follow-up studies are crucial for understanding the lasting impacts of VLBW.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare neurodevelopmental outcomes and behavioral patterns in VLBW children versus normal birth weight (NBW) controls at age nine.
- To investigate the influence of non-verbal intelligence on observed differences.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking VLBW and NBW children.
- Neurological examination, non-verbal intelligence testing, and assessments of academic skills (reading, math, vocabulary) at age nine.
- Behavioral rating scales assessing hyperactivity, social behavior, and motor skills.
Main Results:
- VLBW children exhibited poorer neurological examination results and lower scores in cognitive and academic tests compared to NBW controls.
- VLBW children demonstrated higher hyperactivity and lower fine motor skills.
- When non-verbal intelligence was controlled for, most observed differences between VLBW and NBW groups diminished significantly.
Conclusions:
- VLBW is associated with neurodevelopmental and behavioral deficits in childhood.
- Non-verbal intelligence plays a significant role in mediating outcomes for VLBW children.
- Early identification and support for cognitive development may mitigate long-term challenges in VLBW survivors.
Abstract:
Children of very low birth weight (VLBW), defined as less than 1500 g, and normal birth weight controls (NBW) were enrolled in a long-term follow-up study. Five of 86 surviving VLBW children had a neurological handicap. Seventy VLBW children and 72 NBW children were re-examined at the age of nine, which entailed a neurological examination, a non-verbal intelligence test and a test for reading ability, mathematical skills and vocabulary. Their behavior was rated regarding hyperactivity, social behavior and fine and motor skills. The two groups differed with regard to the neurological examination and the tests, with poorer results shown for the low birth weight group. The VLBW children were also more hyperactive and scored lower on fine motor skills. Considering only those who scored normally as regards non-verbal intelligence (54% of VLBW children and 88% of controls), practically all differences disappeared.