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[Description and evaluation of creative thinking in preterm low birth weight infants]

L Parisi1, T Di Filippo, L Firrigno

  • 1Unità di Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

Minerva Pediatrica
|April 4, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children born preterm with low birth weight exhibit diminished creative thinking compared to peers. Psychodynamic and relational factors may contribute to reduced autonomy and flexibility in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Context:

  • The evaluation of creativity and its relationship with intelligence has been studied since the 1950s.
  • Preterm infants, especially those with very low birth weight (<1500 g), often display cognitive and relational challenges.

Purpose:

  • This study aimed to describe the development of creative thinking in children born preterm.
  • To compare the creative thinking abilities of low birth weight preterm children with a control group.

Summary:

  • A group of 43 children (aged 6-11) born preterm with low birth weight (1050-2450 g, 29-32 weeks gestation) were assessed using the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TCTT), WISC-R, and Goodenough Human Figure Drawing Test.
  • The preterm group showed significantly lower scores in figure originality, fluidity, and elaboration compared to the control group (birth weight >2500 g).
  • Within the preterm group, correlations were found between verbal IQ and verbal creativity, and between performance IQ and figure elaboration.

Impact:

  • Findings suggest that psychodynamic and relational factors, such as parental worry and overprotection, may impede the development of autonomy, flexibility, and manipulative interest in preterm children.
  • The study highlights potential impacts of the preterm condition on creative development, emphasizing the role of socio-emotional factors.
Abstract

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