Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 18, 2026

P50 Sensory Gating in Infants
12:55

P50 Sensory Gating in Infants

Published on: December 26, 2013

9.6K

Cognitive functioning in toddlerhood: The role of gestational age, attention capacities, and maternal stimulation

Marjanneke de Jong1, Marjolein Verhoeven1, Ignace T C Hooge2

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University.

Developmental Psychology
|November 21, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Preterm children

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatric Neurodevelopment

Background:

  • Preterm birth is associated with developmental delays in children.
  • Understanding factors influencing cognitive development in preterm children is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate an integrated model of biological risk, child capacities, and maternal stimulation.
  • To examine their relationship with cognitive functioning in toddlerhood.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 200 Dutch preterm children (gestational age 32-41 weeks).
  • Assessed attention capacities (eye-tracking) and maternal stimulation at 18 months.
  • Measured cognitive functioning (Bayley-III-NL) at 24 months.

Main Results:

  • Children's attention capacities and maternal attention-maintaining behavior directly predicted cognitive functioning.
  • Gestational age indirectly influenced cognitive functioning via attention capacities and maternal attention-redirecting behavior.

Conclusions:

  • A combination of gestational age, children's attention capacities, and maternal stimulation is linked to early cognitive development in preterm children.
  • Highlights the importance of early interventions targeting attention and maternal engagement.

More Related Videos

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior07:09

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Published on: November 14, 2018

11.5K
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

17.0K

Related Concept Videos

Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
620
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
2.0K
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
664
Cognitive Development During Adulthood01:30

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
938
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
486