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Executive function deficit in preschool children born very low birth weight with normal early development

Tzu-Lo Ni1, Chao-Ching Huang, Nai-Wen Guo

  • 1Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.

Early Human Development
|January 4, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children born very low birth weight (VLBW) with normal early development still face executive function deficits. These deficits in planning, cognitive flexibility, and working memory persist, influenced by factors like gestation age and birth weight.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Children born very low birth weight (VLBW) are at increased risk for executive function (EF) deficits.
  • Previous studies did not fully isolate the impact of early developmental abnormalities on EF deficits in VLBW children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if six-year-old VLBW children with normal early development exhibit executive function deficits.
  • To investigate the specific EF domains affected in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 37 six-year-old VLBW children (with normal early development) and 22 typically developing children.
  • Assessment of executive functions including impulse control, planning, cognitive flexibility, and working memory using standardized tests (e.g., ToL, WCST, Knox's Cube, WISC-IV Digit Span).

Main Results:

  • VLBW children showed significantly lower scores in planning, cognitive flexibility, and nonverbal working memory compared to controls.
  • The significance of these EF deficits was reduced after adjusting for gestation age and birth weight.

Conclusions:

  • Six-year-old VLBW children, even with normal early development, remain at risk for deficits in planning, cognitive flexibility, and nonverbal working memory.
  • Gestation age and birth weight are significant covariant factors influencing these executive function outcomes.
Abstract

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