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Prematurity may negatively impact means-end problem solving across the first two years of life

Andrea Baraldi Cunha1, Iryna Babik1, Samantha M Ross2

  • 1Biomechanics & Movement Science Program, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.

Research in Developmental Disabilities
|April 4, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants often experience under-diagnosed learning delays. This study found preterm infants showed less goal-directed behavior and delayed intentionality in problem-solving tasks compared to full-term infants.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatric Neurology

Background:

  • Preterm infants face risks for developmental delays in motor, perceptual, and cognitive areas.
  • Learning delays in preterm infants are often under-diagnosed in early life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally assess behavioral performance and learning in means-end problem-solving tasks.
  • To compare preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) infants' performance across multiple age points.
  • To identify early markers for learning delays in at-risk infants.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal evaluation of 30 preterm and 23 full-term infants at 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months.
  • Utilized two means-end problem-solving tasks: towel pulling and turntable rotation.
  • Assessed behavioral performance, including goal-directed and non-goal-directed actions, and task success rates.

Main Results:

  • Preterm infants exhibited more non-goal-directed and less goal-directed behavior than full-term infants.
  • Preterm infants demonstrated a delayed emergence of intentionality in both problem-solving tasks.
  • Behavioral performance amount and variability correlated with task success, varying by age.

Conclusions:

  • Means-end problem-solving tasks may aid in the early detection of learning delays in preterm infants.
  • Identifying age-specific behavioral indicators can guide interventions for at-risk infants.
  • Documented learning differences highlight the need for targeted early support for preterm infants.

Keywords:
ExplorationInfantLearningMeans-end problem solvingPreterm

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