Inattention in very preterm children: implications for screening and detection

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Children born very preterm (VP) are at increased risk for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).
• ADHD in VP children can present differently, potentially leading to under-detection in educational settings.
• Assessing ADHD symptoms in VP children is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate ADHD symptoms in very preterm children compared to term-born controls.
• To determine if VP children's attention and hyperactivity difficulties are detected in school settings.

Main Methods:

• Parents and teachers of 117 VP and 77 term-born children completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Du Paul ADHD Rating Scale-IV.
• Special Educational Needs (SEN) were assessed via teacher report.
• Statistical analyses adjusted for socio-economic factors.

Main Results:

• VP children exhibited significantly higher hyperactivity/inattention scores and clinically significant hyperactivity/inattention difficulties as reported by parents and teachers.
• Parents and teachers rated VP children with more inattention symptoms, with parents identifying more clinically significant inattention.
• Even after excluding children with identified SEN, VP children still showed higher inattention scores, but not hyperactivity/impulsivity.

Conclusions:

• Very preterm children face a greater risk for inattention symptoms compared to hyperactivity/impulsivity.
• Increased inattention in VP children without identified SEN suggests these issues may be missed in school.
• Enhancing teacher awareness of inattention symptoms can aid in identifying VP children needing support.