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Laterality and prematurity
N Marlow1, B L Roberts, R W Cooke
1Department of Child Health, Liverpool Maternity Hospital.
Insights
Preterm infants showed higher rates of left-handedness. Neonatal brain injuries did not significantly affect the development of lateral preferences in children born before 31 weeks gestation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Human Biology
Background:
- Preterm birth is associated with various developmental outcomes.
- Lateral preference (e.g., handedness) is a complex trait with potential links to early brain development.
- Understanding factors influencing lateral preference in preterm infants is crucial for developmental assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between neonatal brain injuries and later lateral preference in very preterm children.
- To determine the prevalence of left-sided preferences (hand, foot, eye) in this cohort.
- To compare lateral preference rates in preterm children with and without neonatal brain lesions.
Main Methods:
- A postal questionnaire assessed lateral preferences in 240 children born at less than 31 weeks' gestation.
- Children had no major neurological impairment.
- Neonatal cerebral ultrasound scans were used to identify brain injuries.
Main Results:
- Left-hand preference was observed in 26.7% of children, left-foot preference in 29.2%, and left-eye preference in 35.8%.
- Preterm children exhibited significantly higher rates of left-handedness compared to expected population frequencies.
- Lateral preference frequencies were similar across children with normal neonatal scans, bilateral lesions, left-sided lesions, and right-sided lesions.
Conclusions:
- Very preterm children demonstrate increased rates of left-sided lateral preferences, particularly handedness.
- The side or extent of neonatal brain injury did not appear to influence the development of lateral preference in this cohort of preterm infants without major impairments.
- These findings suggest that factors other than specific neonatal brain lesions may contribute to altered lateralization patterns in preterm populations.
Abstract:
Lateral preferences were determined by postal questionnaire for 240 children, without major neurological impairment, who were born at less than 31 weeks' gestation to examine the association between neonatal brain injuries and later lateral preference. Left hand preference was reported in 64 (26.7%) children at a median age of 52 months (range: 24-104 months). Left foot preference was shown by 70 (29.2%) and left eye preference by 86 (35.8%). Significantly more preterm children were left handed compared with parents or siblings in whom expected frequencies of left handedness were found. All index children had serial neonatal cerebral ultrasound examinations, of which 95 were abnormal. Left preference occurred at similar frequencies in those with normal neonatal scans (26.9%), bilateral lesions (28.3%), left sided lesions (23.8%), and right lesions (23.8%). Lateral preference appears to be unaffected by the side or extent of neonatal brain injury in children without major impairments.