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Preterm birth and dyscalculia

Julia Jaekel1, Dieter Wolke2

  • 1Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|March 18, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Lower gestational age (GA) increases risks for cognitive and math impairments in preterm children. However, preterm birth does not elevate the risk for dyscalculia when adjusted for other factors.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental neuroscience
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Educational psychology

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for developmental challenges.
  • Understanding the specific risks, such as dyscalculia, associated with preterm birth is crucial for early intervention.
  • Gestational age (GA) and small-for-gestational age (SGA) are key indicators of neonatal risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if lower gestational age (GA) increases the risk of dyscalculia in preterm children.
  • To investigate the association between small-for-gestational age (SGA) birth and dyscalculia.
  • To analyze the impact of GA on general cognitive and mathematical impairments.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective longitudinal study of 922 neonatal at-risk children in South Germany.
  • Cognitive and mathematical abilities assessed at 8 years using standardized tests (Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, mathematics test).
  • Dyscalculia diagnosed using discrepancy-based residuals and fixed cut-off scores; binary logistic regressions analyzed risks across GA groups.

Main Results:

  • Risk for general cognitive and mathematical impairment significantly increased with lower gestational age (GA).
  • Preterm children did not show an increased risk for dyscalculia after adjusting for sex, socioeconomic status, and SGA.
  • Lower GA was linked to higher risks of general cognitive and mathematical impairments.

Conclusions:

  • While lower gestational age (GA) is associated with increased risks of general cognitive and mathematical impairments, it does not independently increase the risk for dyscalculia.
  • These findings highlight the importance of considering GA in the context of broader developmental outcomes in preterm children.
  • Further research may explore specific factors contributing to dyscalculia in this population.
Abstract

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