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Effect of prematurity and low birth weight in visual abilities and school performance

T Perez-Roche1, I Altemir1, G Giménez1

  • 1Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain; Ophthalmology Department, Paediatric Ophthalmology Unit, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.

Research in Developmental Disabilities
|October 17, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children born preterm or small for gestational age (SGA) exhibit visual perceptual and motor deficits. These visual cognitive impairments negatively impact their academic performance in reading and mathematics.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Ophthalmology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Prematurity and low birth weight are established risk factors for cognitive and developmental impairments, including school failure.
  • Visual perceptual and visual motor skills are particularly vulnerable cognitive domains in children born with these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of prematurity and low birth weight on visual cognitive abilities.
  • To assess the correlation between these visual deficits and school performance.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study involving 80 children aged 5-13 years.
  • Children were categorized by gestational age (preterm vs. term) and birth weight (small for gestational age [SGA] vs. appropriate for gestational age [AGA]).
  • Ophthalmologic assessments and standardized tests of visual cognitive skills were administered, alongside parent questionnaires on school performance.

Main Results:

  • Preterm infants showed significantly lower figure-ground skills and visual motor integration compared to term infants.
  • Children born SGA demonstrated deficits in visual memory, form constancy, figure-ground perception, and visual closure compared to AGA infants.
  • Visual cognitive impairments were directly associated with poorer performance in mathematics and reading.

Conclusions:

  • Children born preterm or SGA exhibit distinct visual perceptual and visual motor deficits.
  • These deficits significantly hinder academic achievement in essential subjects like mathematics and reading.
Abstract

Keywords:
Low birth weightPrematuritySchool performanceVisual motor coordinationVisual perception

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