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Cognitive development at age 8 years in very low birth weight children in Taiwan

Shu-Chi Mu1, Kuo-Su Tsou, Chyong-Hsin Hsu

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, and College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association = Taiwan Yi Zhi
|January 9, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Children born with very low birth weight (VLBW) demonstrate lower intelligence and cognitive abilities in primary school compared to full-term peers. This highlights the need for ongoing developmental monitoring for VLBW children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Developmental screening is crucial for all children, particularly premature infants.
  • Limited data exists on the long-term development of very low birth weight (VLBW) children in Taiwan beyond preschool.
  • Assessing cognitive abilities in school-aged VLBW children is essential for understanding their developmental trajectory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the intelligence quotient (IQ) and cognitive abilities of prematurely born, school-aged children in Taiwan.
  • To compare the cognitive outcomes of VLBW children with those of full-term children.
  • To identify potential developmental disparities in VLBW children during primary school years.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter study involving VLBW and full-term children born between 1995 and 1997 in northern Taiwan.
  • Cognitive assessment using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 3rd Edition (WISC-III).
  • Collection of demographic data including maternal/paternal age, education, birth weight, gestational age, and gender.

Main Results:

  • 189 children (130 VLBW, 59 full-term) were recruited.
  • VLBW children showed significantly lower scores in Performance IQ (PIQ), Verbal IQ (VIQ), Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ), Verbal Comprehension Index Score (VCIS), Perceptual Organization Index Score (POIS), and Freedom From Distractibility Index Score (FDIS) compared to full-term children (p < 0.001 for most indices).
  • No correlation was found between perinatal outcomes and FSIQ.

Conclusions:

  • VLBW children exhibit significantly diminished IQ and cognitive abilities in primary school compared to their full-term counterparts.
  • These findings underscore the importance of continued developmental surveillance for VLBW individuals.
  • Early identification and intervention strategies may be beneficial for improving cognitive outcomes in VLBW children.
Abstract

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