Recall memory in the first three years of life: a longitudinal study of preterm and term children

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Preterm birth (<1750 g birthweight) is associated with potential developmental challenges.
• Understanding the trajectory of cognitive functions like recall memory in preterm infants is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the development and stability of recall memory in preterm and term-born children.
• To compare memory performance between preterm and term groups at 12, 24, and 36 months of age.
• To examine the relationship between birthweight, hospitalization duration, and memory outcomes in preterm children.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, longitudinal study design.
• Inclusion of 56 preterm children and 126 term controls.
• Assessment of recall memory using an elicited imitation task at 12, 24, and 36 months.

Main Results:

• Preterm children consistently performed worse than term children in recall memory tasks across all ages.
• Lower birthweight and longer postnatal hospitalization correlated with poorer memory performance in preterm children at 24 and 36 months.
• Memory deficits in preterm children persisted, with no evidence of catch-up development by 36 months.

Conclusions:

• Preterm infants exhibit significant and persistent deficits in recall memory from 12 months of age into early childhood.
• These findings highlight the need for targeted support for memory development in preterm populations.
• Individual differences in recall memory show modest stability, particularly between 24 and 36 months.