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Face recognition impairment in small for gestational age and preterm children

T Perez-Roche1, I Altemir2, G Giménez2

  • 1Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (ISS Aragón), Avenida San Juan Bosco 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Paseo Isabel la Católica 1-3, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.

Research in Developmental Disabilities
|February 8, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Children born small for gestational age have poorer face recognition abilities. This impacts social development, highlighting the need for early assessment in at-risk infants.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Premature birth and low birth weight increase risks for visual perceptual impairments.
  • Face recognition is crucial for social development but understudied in these infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how prematurity and low birth weight affect children's face recognition skills.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study evaluated 77 children, comparing premature and term birth groups.
  • Children were assessed for ophthalmologic health and face recognition using the Test of Memory and Learning's Facial Memory subtest.
  • Small for gestational age status was defined as birth weight below the 10th centile.

Main Results:

  • Premature infants showed worse immediate face recognition than term infants.
  • After adjusting for birth weight, prematurity itself was not linked to poorer outcomes.
  • Low birth weight children had significantly worse immediate face recognition and face memory compared to appropriate birth weight peers.

Conclusions:

  • Being born small for gestational age is a significant risk factor for suboptimal face recognition.
  • These deficits occur even in children without major neurodevelopmental issues, emphasizing the importance of monitoring visual-social skills.
Abstract

Keywords:
Face recognitionPreterm infantsSmall for gestational ageVisual cognitive functionsVisual development

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