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Risk factors affecting school readiness in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome

Athena I Patrianakos-Hoobler1, Michael E Msall, Jeremy D Marks

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and bHealth Studies, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.

Pediatrics
|July 1, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Most premature infants are school-ready, but male gender, chronic lung disease, and low socioeconomic status are risk factors. Socioeconomic status is the most significant predictor of school readiness in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care and developmental pediatrics.
  • Public health and socioeconomic factors in child development.

Background:

  • Advances in neonatal care have increased survival rates for premature infants.
  • However, their school readiness and associated risk factors remain understudied.
  • This study addresses the need to understand school preparedness in this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the school readiness of children born prematurely.
  • To identify risk factors associated with lower school readiness in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study followed 135 surviving premature infants (mean gestational age 27.5 weeks).
  • Children underwent neurodevelopmental, health, and socioeconomic status assessments around age 5.7 years.
  • A 4-level school-readiness score was derived from standardized assessments and medical/sensory evaluations.

Main Results:

  • 67% of the children were deemed school-ready.
  • Risk factors for lower school readiness included male gender, chronic lung disease, and severe brain injury (intraventricular hemorrhage/periventricular leukomalacia).
  • Low socioeconomic status was the most significant predictor of school readiness.

Conclusions:

  • While neonatal morbidities impact school readiness, the social environment plays a more critical role.
  • Interventions addressing socioeconomic factors may be more effective than those solely targeting neonatal issues for improving school performance.
Abstract

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