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Academic Achievement Deficits and Their Neuropsychological Correlates in Children Born Extremely Preterm

Natacha Akshoomoff1, Robert M Joseph, H Gerry Taylor

  • 1*Department of Psychiatry and Center for Human Development, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA; †Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA; ‡Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University and Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH; §Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; ‖Neuroepidemiology Unit, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; ¶Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA; **Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; ††Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA.

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|September 7, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Children born extremely preterm face higher risks of learning disabilities (LDs), especially in math. These learning disabilities are linked to specific cognitive weaknesses and lower IQs, highlighting the need for early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Extremely preterm birth (born between 23-27 weeks gestational age) is associated with various developmental challenges.
  • Learning disabilities (LDs) are common in this population, impacting academic achievement and cognitive function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and nature of learning disabilities (LDs) in a large cohort of extremely preterm children.
  • To identify specific neuropsychological deficits associated with LDs in reading and mathematics.

Main Methods:

  • Academic achievement, LD rates, and neuropsychological correlates were assessed in 10-year-old children from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns (ELGANs) Study.
  • Primary analyses focused on children without intellectual disability (IQ > 70).
  • Low achievement was defined as a standard score ≤85 in reading or math.

Main Results:

  • The risk of low math achievement (27%) was significantly higher than low reading achievement (17%).
  • Learning disabilities were identified in reading only (6.4%), math only (16.2%), and both (8.3%).
  • All LD groups exhibited neuropsychological weaknesses, with distinct patterns for reading-only vs. math-only disabilities.

Conclusions:

  • Extremely preterm children exhibit higher-than-expected rates of LDs, particularly in mathematics, independent of socioeconomic status.
  • Specific cognitive weaknesses differentiate extremely preterm children with reading disabilities from those with math disabilities.
Abstract

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