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Updated: Aug 11, 2025
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Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
Published on: June 30, 2020
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School and language performance in children born with low birth weight
Pablo F Nepomuceno1, Jacy Perissinoto1, Maria Wany L Strufaldi2
1Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Jornal De Pediatria
|February 9, 2023
Summary
Lower birth weight may impact early language and academic skills in children. However, factors like maternal schooling significantly influence these outcomes, suggesting a complex interplay of influences.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Birth weight is a critical indicator of early development.
- Metalinguistic skills are foundational for academic success.
- Understanding early influences on learning is crucial for educational interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between birth weight and metalinguistic skills.
- To assess the impact of birth weight on reading, writing, and arithmetic performance.
- To analyze these relationships in elementary school students.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 315 students (grades 1-4) was studied.
- Birth weight served as the exposure variable.
- Language and academic skills were assessed using the Test of Language Competence (TLC) and School Performance Test (SPT).
Main Results:
- Students in lower birth weight quartiles showed a trend towards poorer performance in listening comprehension and oral expression.
- A tendency for lower reading performance was observed in the lowest birth weight group.
- While initial analysis showed poorer overall performance in the lowest quartile (p=0.019), multivariate analysis adjusted for maternal schooling found no significant association.
Conclusions:
- Birth weight may influence oral and written language development.
- Sociodemographic factors, particularly maternal schooling and family support, play a complex role in determining these developmental outcomes.
- Early interventions should consider the multifaceted nature of factors affecting child development.
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