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Hidden handicap in school-age children who received neonatal intensive care
S R Zubrick1, H Macartney, F J Stanley
1Health Department of Western Australia, Neurosciences Unit, Shenton Park.
Insights
Low birthweight and preterm birth significantly impact academic performance in children. These factors are linked to reading, spelling, and math difficulties, highlighting the need for early intervention.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Infants classified as 'at risk' during the neonatal period may face long-term challenges.
- Understanding the academic outcomes for these children is crucial for targeted support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the academic attainment of 'at risk' children in their first year of primary school.
- To identify specific neonatal risk factors associated with poorer academic outcomes.
- To compare the academic performance of at-risk children with their peers.
Main Methods:
- Academic attainment tests and teacher ratings were used for 347 'at risk' children.
- Matched classroom controls were included to determine the prevalence of learning difficulties.
- Analysis focused on the impact of preterm birth, low birthweight, and time to spontaneous respiration.
Main Results:
- Preterm birth and low birthweight were significant predictors of poorer outcomes in reading, spelling, and mathematics.
- Low birthweight accounted for 29% of the attributable risk for academic handicap.
- Neonatal intensive care graduates with normal birthweights performed similarly to low-risk controls.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal factors like preterm birth and low birthweight have a lasting impact on academic achievement.
- The findings underscore the importance of monitoring and supporting children with specific neonatal risk factors.
- Further research can inform interventions to mitigate academic challenges in at-risk populations.
Abstract:
A group of 347 children who had been classed as 'at risk' in the neonatal period were examined by means of academic attainment tests and teacher ratings at the end of their first year in primary school. Matched classroom controls were also examined to estimate the prevalence of reading, spelling and mathematics difficulties. Preterm birth and low birthweight appeared to be significant antecedents of poorer outcome in all three subjects. The attributable risk of low birthweight to academic handicap was estimated to be 29 per cent. There was no additional effect of time to spontaneous respiration (short and long) on academic outcome for the preterm low-birthweight group. In contrast, poor outcome for the low-birthweight children who had not been preterm was associated with longer time to spontaneous respiration. Graduates of neonatal intensive care with normal birthweights performed comparably with their low-risk controls. These results are discussed in relation to other longitudinal studies of the outcome for 'at-risk' infants.