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Evolution of psychomotor development in pre-school children born prematurely
Alejandra Victoria Pereira-Cerro1, María Dolores Lanzarote-Fernández2, María Merced Barbancho-Morant3
1C.E.U. Cardenal Spínola, Fundación San Pablo Andalucía CEU, Bormujos, Sevilla, Spain.
Insights
Premature birth can impact psychomotor development, with earlier preterm infants showing more significant challenges by age 6. Continued monitoring of preterm children is crucial for early intervention and support during primary education.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neonatal Outcomes
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Rising rates of premature births necessitate understanding their long-term developmental effects.
- Psychomotor development is a critical area of assessment for children born prematurely.
Purpose of the Study:
- To profile the psychomotor development of premature children at ages 4, 5, and 6.
- To compare the psychomotor development of premature and full-term born children.
- To identify differences in psychomotor development based on gestational age categories.
Main Methods:
- A prospective longitudinal observational study with 98 participants (premature and full-term infants).
- Participants were categorized into early, moderate, and late preterm groups based on gestational age.
- Psychomotor skills were assessed using the McCarthy Scale of Aptitudes and Psychomotor skills for children.
Main Results:
- Premature children exhibited more developmental difficulties at age 4 compared to full-term infants.
- Early preterm infants (gestational age < 32 weeks) showed significantly lower scores than moderate and late preterm infants.
- Early preterm infants scored lower than full-term infants at ages 4 and 6.
Conclusions:
- Lower gestational age at birth is associated with greater developmental difficulties, potentially impacting primary education.
- Continuous monitoring of preterm children during the preschool years is recommended.
- Specialist team care and evaluation of specific skills are vital for supporting preterm children's development.
Introduction:
The rate of premature births has significantly increased, and it is important to determine its effects. The objective of this study is to determine the psychomotor development profile of a group of children born prematurely, at the age of 4, 5 and 6, and to compare them with a group of full-term birth children, in order to detect any differences.
Patients And Methods:
The sample consisted of 98 participants, evenly distributed into two groups, premature and full-term born children. A prospective longitudinal observational analytical study, with a design of cases and controls, was carried out. For some analyses, the separation into early pre-term, moderate pre-term, and late pre-term was considered. The evaluations were performed using the McCarthy Scale of Aptitudes and Psychomotor skills for children.
Results:
The data show achievements within the middle intervals. However, there are more difficulties in development at 4 years in the group of premature children, according to gestational age. Early pre-term (gestational age less than 32 weeks) showed significantly lower scores compared to moderate and late pre-term, mainly at 6 years, and with those born at term, at 4 and 6 years.
Conclusions:
Development difficulties are greater at a lower gestational age, and may affect the Primary Education stage. The need to monitor all premature children in the preschool stage is suggested, as well as to evaluate more specific skills and continue with the care from specialist teams.
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