Neurodevelopmental origins of social competence in very preterm children

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Social problems are a significant aspect of the preterm behavioral phenotype.
• These social issues are complex and multidimensional, necessitating a structured approach for understanding.
• A conceptual model of social competence, encompassing social cognition, interaction, and adjustment, aids in addressing these problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine social deficits in very preterm (VPT) children.
• To investigate the components of social competence: social cognition, social interaction, and social adjustment in VPT individuals.
• To explore the origins and influencing factors of social difficulties in VPT children.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on social cognition, interaction, and adjustment in VPT children.
• Analysis of studies involving interpretation of social cues for social cognition assessment.
• Structured observations of social interactions between VPT infants/children and adults.
• Evaluation of parent, teacher, and self-report data on social adjustment.

Main Results:

• VPT children show weaknesses in social cognition, particularly in interpreting social cues.
• Difficulties in social interaction are observed in VPT infants and young children during adult interactions.
• Problems in social adjustment are reported by parents, teachers, and VPT adults themselves.

Conclusions:

• VPT birth is associated with deficits in social cognition, interaction, and adjustment.
• These social deficits may originate from early neural development disruptions.
• Postnatal environmental factors likely influence the manifestation and severity of these social challenges.