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Finishing first grade: a study of school achievement in very-low-birth-weight children
B D Schraeder1, M A Heverly, C O'Brien
1Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
Insights
Maternal age at childbearing significantly impacts school achievement in very-low-birth-weight children. This factor explained over a third of academic variance, independent of birth weight status.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) children face challenges in school achievement.
- Understanding factors influencing academic success in VLBW populations is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate factors influencing first-grade school achievement in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) children.
- To compare academic outcomes between VLBW and normal birth weight (NBW) children.
Main Methods:
- Study included 71 children (39 VLBW, 32 NBW) and their primary caregivers.
- School achievement assessed at first-grade completion.
- Maternal age at childbearing and birth weight status analyzed as factors.
Main Results:
- Maternal age at childbearing accounted for over one-third of the variance in school achievement, irrespective of birth weight.
- Birth weight status significantly influenced information processing skills.
- VLBW children more frequently required special educational services.
Conclusions:
- Maternal age at childbearing is a key predictor of school achievement in VLBW children.
- VLBW status is associated with specific cognitive processing differences and increased need for support services.
Abstract:
Factors that influence school achievement in very-low-birth-weight (< 1,500 g) children were investigated at the completion of first grade. The subjects were 71 children and their primary caregivers. Thirty-nine children were very low birth weight (VLBW) and 32 were normal birth weight (NBW). After controlling for birth weight status, over one third of the variance in children's school achievement was accounted for by the age of the child's mother when she began childbearing. Birth weight status accounted for significant amounts of variance in information processing skills. Significantly more children in the VLBW group required special services and fewer were promoted to second grade, although the difference was not significant.