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Associations of Parental Distress and Behavior with School Readiness in Children Born Very Preterm

Daphne M Vrantsidis1, Rebekah A Benkart2, Mary Lauren Neel3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Canada.

Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|January 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Parental distress and harshness negatively impact school readiness in very preterm (VPT) children, while cognitive stimulation shows benefits. These factors are crucial for developing interventions for VPT children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Children born very preterm (VPT; gestational age <31 weeks) exhibit significant school readiness challenges compared to full-term (FT; gestational age ≥37 weeks) infants.
  • Understanding family-related factors influencing school readiness in VPT children is critical for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between parental well-being/behavior (distress, harshness, responsiveness, positive control, cognitive stimulation) and school readiness in VPT children.
  • To determine if these parental factors impact VPT and FT children similarly.

Main Methods:

  • Parents of 4-year-olds born VPT (n=55) and FT (n=38) completed questionnaires on distress, behavior, and cognitive stimulation.
  • Children underwent neuropsychological assessments and parent-report questionnaires evaluating cognition, executive function, motor skills, preacademic abilities, and behavior.

Main Results:

  • Higher parental distress and harshness correlated with increased behavioral problems in both VPT and FT children.
  • Greater cognitive stimulation was linked to enhanced cognitive, motor, and preacademic skills for both groups.
  • Parental distress uniquely associated with lower cognitive ability in VPT children, while harshness uniquely linked to lower preacademic skills in FT children.

Conclusions:

  • Parental distress, harshness, and cognitive stimulation are modifiable factors influencing school readiness in VPT children.
  • These findings support the development of family-based interventions targeting these parental characteristics to improve school readiness outcomes for VPT children.
Abstract

Keywords:
parentingprematuritypreschool childrenschool functioning

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