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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Psychoeducational outcome at school age of preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
P H Gray1, M J O'Callaghan, Y M Rogers
1Department of Neonatology and Development Research Unit, University of Queensland, Mater Health Services, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. pgray@mater.org.au
Insights
Children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) show poorer cognitive performance and educational attainment, particularly in language and reading skills, compared to preterm controls. This highlights the need for targeted educational support and parental counseling.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
- Neonatology
Background:
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease affecting preterm infants.
- Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with BPD require further investigation.
- Cognitive and educational performance are critical indicators of long-term health in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the school-age cognitive performance and educational attainment of children with BPD.
- To assess differences in intelligence, academic achievement, and visual-motor integration between BPD and control groups.
- To identify specific areas of psychoeducational deficit in children with BPD.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up of 70 preterm infants with BPD and 61 matched controls to school-age.
- Administration of the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children - III (WISC), Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI).
- Comparative analysis of test results between groups, with multiple regression to control for confounding variables.
Main Results:
- Children with BPD demonstrated significantly lower scores on WISC Full Scale IQ, Verbal IQ, and Performance IQ compared to controls.
- Impaired performance was also observed in the reading component of the WRAT and the VMI in the BPD group.
- Statistical differences persisted even after controlling for social and biological variables, with a higher proportion of BPD children scoring below average in IQ and reading.
Conclusions:
- Preterm children with BPD exhibit impaired psychoeducational performance, particularly in language and reading abilities.
- These findings underscore the necessity for enhanced educational services and specialized support for children with BPD.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for optimizing developmental trajectories in this vulnerable group.
Objective:
To investigate the cognitive performance and educational attainment at school-age of children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), compared with a preterm control group of children.
Methods:
Seventy preterm infants with BPD and 61 birth weight matched controls were prospectively followed-up to school-age. The Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children - III (WISC), the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) and the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI) were administered. The results were compared between the two groups and multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of confounding variables.
Results:
The children in the BPD group performed less well on the Full Scale IQ (mean 86.7 vs 93.5; 95% CI, 1.9-11.7), Verbal IQ (mean 87.1 vs 94.1; 95% CI, 2.0-12.0) and the Performance IQ (mean 88.6 vs 95.2; 95% CI, 2.0-11.2) of the WISC, the reading component of the WRAT (mean 93.8 vs 98.9; 95% CI, 0.3-9.8) and the VMI (mean 88.9 vs 93.3; 95%, CI 1.1-7.8). Despite controlling for social and biological variables, statistical differences persisted for Full Scale and Verbal IQ and reading. A Verbal IQ >1 SD below the mean was found in 41% of BPD children compared to 21% of controls, while on the reading component of the WRAT a greater proportion of BPD children also had scores>1 SD below the mean.
Conclusion:
Impaired psychoeducational performance was found in preterm children with BPD compared to controls, especially in the areas of language abilities and reading skills. This supports a greater need for special educational services and counseling for parents for these children.
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