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Pune low birth weight study--cognitive abilities and educational performance at twelve years
Sudha Chaudhari1, Madhumati Otiv, Anjali Chitale
1Department of Pediatrics, KEM Hospital, Pune 411 011, India. kemhrc@vsnl.com
Indian Pediatrics
|March 9, 2004
Summary
Children born weighing less than 2000 grams show lower intelligence and academic performance. These children also exhibit poor visuo-motor perception and motor skills, impacting their learning abilities.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care and developmental pediatrics.
- Child psychology and educational neuroscience.
Background:
- Infants with very low birth weight (VLBW) face potential developmental challenges.
- Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for VLBW infants require continued assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate intelligence, visuo-motor perception, motor competence, and school performance at age 12 in children born weighing less than 2000 grams.
- To compare these outcomes with a control group of normal birth weight children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study followed infants discharged from a Neonatal Special Care Unit.
- Assessments included intelligence scales, visuo-motor perception tests, motor competence evaluations, and academic achievement scrutiny.
- Children were assessed at 12 years of age.
Main Results:
- Children weighing less than 2000 grams had significantly lower mean IQ scores compared to controls (89.5 vs 97.2).
- VLBW children demonstrated poorer visuo-motor perception, motor competence, and higher rates of intellectual disability.
- Learning disabilities in reading and mathematics were prevalent, particularly in preterm SGA and VLBW subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Children with birth weights under 2000 grams exhibit significantly lower intelligence and academic performance than controls.
- These children often experience visuo-motor deficits, motor incompetence, and learning disabilities.
- Preterm SGA and VLBW children displayed the most compromised cognitive abilities.