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Low birthweight children: coping in school?
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Bergen, Norway.
Insights
Children with low birthweight experience more school problems and have lower IQ scores. Parental factors were stronger predictors of IQ than birthweight in this study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Low birthweight is associated with potential developmental challenges.
- Understanding factors influencing school performance and IQ is crucial for early intervention.
- Previous research indicates a link between birthweight and cognitive outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare school performance and IQ at age 11 between low birthweight and normal birthweight children.
- To assess the relative impact of parental factors versus birthweight on predicting IQ.
- To identify risks associated with low birthweight in childhood development.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 130 low birthweight children (under 2000g) and 131 normal birthweight children were studied.
- Maternal and teacher questionnaires assessed school performance.
- Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was evaluated using the WISC-R, and socioeconomic status was investigated.
Main Results:
- Low birthweight children reported twice as many school problems and three times more referrals to psychological services.
- The mean IQ score was 5 points lower in the low birthweight group.
- Parental factors explained 13% of IQ variance, while birthweight explained only 3%.
Conclusions:
- Low birthweight significantly increases the risk of encountering school difficulties.
- Parental factors play a more substantial role in determining a child's IQ than birthweight alone.
- Early identification and support for low birthweight children are essential for academic success.
Aim:
To describe and compare school performance and IQ at 11 y of age in a population of 130 children weighing less than 2000 g at birth without any major handicaps (low birthweight) and a random control sample of 131 children born at term weighing over 3000 g (normal birthweight); and to evaluate the relative strength of parental factors versus child birthweight in predicting IQ.
Methods:
The mothers and teachers completed validated questionnaires addressing school performance and the child's IQ was evaluated by WISC-R, prorated. In addition, socioeconomic status was investigated using different questionnaires.
Results:
According to maternal reports, twice as many low birthweight children had school problems and three times as many of these children were referred to the School Psychological Service. Mean prorated IQ was 5 points lower in the low birthweight group. No statistically significant difference was found for mean IQ between the groups with birthweights of less than 1500 g vs 1500-2000 g. In a multivariate linear regression analysis, parental factors accounted for 13% of the variance in child IQ compared with only 3% accounted for by child birthweight.
Conclusion:
Low birthweight significantly increases the risk of school problems.