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The relationship between preterm birth and sleep in children at school age: A systematic review

Simone S M Visser1, Willemijn J M van Diemen1, Laura Kervezee2

  • 1Department of Neonatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Sleep Medicine Reviews
|February 21, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Children born prematurely experience earlier bedtimes and poorer sleep quality, including more nighttime awakenings. This systematic review highlights the impact of prematurity on school-aged children's sleep patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Premature birth (before 37 weeks gestation) is associated with neurological deficits.
  • Sleep disturbances are common in preterm infants and linked to neurocognitive impairments.
  • The specific impact of prematurity on sleep during school age remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and assess the relationship between prematurity and sleep patterns in school-aged children (5-18 years).
  • To compare the sleep of children born preterm with that of their full-term peers.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review of scientific literature was conducted.
  • Nine studies were included from an initial search of 347 potentially eligible articles.
  • The review focused on sleep characteristics in school-aged children.

Main Results:

  • Children born prematurely exhibited earlier bedtimes compared to full-term peers.
  • Preterm birth was associated with lower overall sleep quality.
  • Specific findings included increased nocturnal awakenings and more non-rapid eye movement stage 2 sleep in the preterm group.

Conclusions:

  • Prematurity is linked to altered sleep patterns in school-aged children, characterized by earlier sleep onset and reduced sleep quality.
  • Further research with standardized methodologies is needed to understand the mechanisms influencing sleep in preterm children.
  • Optimizing sleep in this vulnerable population may support better behavioral and intellectual development.

Keywords:
Preterm birthSchool-aged childrenSleep characteristicsSleep problemsSystematic review

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