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Grade 3 school performance among children born preterm: a population-based cohort study
Deepak Louis1, Sapna Oberoi2, Florencia M Ricci3
1Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada dlouis@hsc.mb.ca.
Insights
Children born preterm showed lower grade 3 reading and numeracy skills compared to full-term peers. Early screening and interventions are recommended for all preterm children to address academic deficits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Educational Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Prematurity is a significant risk factor for developmental challenges.
- Early academic performance in children is crucial for long-term educational success.
- Understanding the impact of prematurity on school readiness is vital for timely interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between preterm birth and grade 3 academic performance.
- To analyze performance in numeracy and reading competencies among preterm and full-term children.
- To identify factors associated with academic outcomes in children born preterm.
Main Methods:
- A population-based retrospective cohort study in Manitoba, Canada.
- Included children born between 1999-2011 with available grade 3 performance data.
- Used multivariable logistic regression to assess the impact of preterm birth (<37 weeks) on numeracy and reading outcomes.
Main Results:
- Preterm children (7,187) and term children (94,249) were analyzed.
- 19% of preterm children, versus 14% of term children, required ongoing help in numeracy (aOR 1.38).
- Similar disparities were observed in reading, with a significant gestational age gradient and associations with male sex and small for gestational age.
Conclusions:
- Children born preterm demonstrate poorer grade 3 numeracy and reading proficiencies compared to full-term children.
- Screening for academic deficits should extend to all preterm children, not solely those born extremely preterm.
- Implementing targeted strategies is essential to mitigate academic challenges faced by preterm children.
Objective:
To study the association between prematurity and grade 3 school performance in a contemporary cohort of children.
Methods:
Population-based retrospective cohort study in Manitoba, Canada. Children born between 1999 and 2011 who had their grade 3 school performance data available were eligible. Preterm birth (<37 weeks) was the exposure of interest assessed using multivariable logistic regression models. Our primary outcomes were 'needs ongoing help' or 'outside the range' in at least two of each of the (1) four numeracy and (2) three reading competencies.
Results:
Of the 186 956 eligible children, 101 436 children (7187 preterm (gestational age, median (IQR) 35 weeks (34, 36)) and 94 249 term (40 weeks (39,40)) were included. Overall, 19% of preterm and 14% of term children had the numeracy outcome (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.38; 95% CI 1.29 to 1.47, p<0.001), while 19% and 13% had the reading outcome (aOR 1.38; 1.29 to 1.48, p<0.001). These differences showed a gestational age gradient. Gestational age (for numeracy, <28 weeks aOR 4.93 (3.45 to 7.03), 28-33 weeks 1.72 (1.50 to 1.98), 34-36 weeks 1.24 (1.15 to 1.34); for reading, <28 weeks 3.51 (2.40 to 5.14), 28-33 weeks 1.72 (1.49 to 1.98), 34-36 weeks 1.24 (1.17-1.37)), male sex, small for gestational age and maternal medical and sociodemographic factors were associated with the numeracy and reading outcomes in this cohort.
Conclusions And Relevance:
Children born preterm had poorer performance in grade 3 numeracy and reading proficiencies than children born full term. All children born preterm, not just those born extremely preterm, should be screened for reading and numeracy performance in school and strategies implemented to address any deficits.
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