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Sensory Modulation Abilities in Healthy Preterm-Born Children: An Observational Study Using the Sensory Processing
Giulia Previtali1, Cynthia Y Y Lai2, Maria Valvassori Bolgè3
1School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy.
Insights
Prematurity is linked to sensory processing challenges in children. Lower gestational age and birth weight increase the risk of difficulties with sensory stimuli, impacting self-regulation skills.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Sensory processing disorders (SPDs) can impact child development and self-regulation.
- Prematurity is a known risk factor for various developmental challenges.
- Understanding SPD risks in preterm infants is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate prematurity as a risk factor for sensory processing disorders.
- To compare sensory processing and self-regulation skills in preterm versus full-term children.
- To utilize the Italian Version of Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC-IT) for assessment.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 74 Italian preschool children: 37 full-term (FT) and 37 preterm (PT) (gestational age < 37 weeks).
- Caregivers completed the SPSRC-IT to assess sensory processing and self-regulation.
- Compared SPSRC-IT scores between the FT and PT groups.
Main Results:
- Preterm children (PT group) exhibited significantly lower scores in Physiological Conditions, Gustatory and Olfactory Sense, Vestibular Sense, and Proprioceptive Sense.
- Lower gestational age and birth weight correlated with a higher risk of SPD in these sensory domains.
- The SPSRC-IT identified specific sensory processing and self-regulation challenges in the preterm group.
Conclusions:
- The SPSRC-IT indicates a potential association between prematurity and sensory processing/self-regulation difficulties.
- Preterm infants, particularly those with very low birth weight or gestational age, are at increased risk.
- Findings highlight the need for targeted developmental monitoring and support for preterm infants.
Abstract:
This study aimed to investigate prematurity as a risk factor for sensory processing disorders, using the Italian Version of Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC-IT), based on a sample of healthy Italian children born preterm in comparison with a sample of typical full-term children. Two groups of caregivers of Italian healthy preschooler children were recruited. The first group comprised 37 caregivers of full-term children (FT), while the second group consisted of 37 caregivers of preterm children (PT) (gestational age < 37 weeks). Significant differences between the groups in several subsections and factors of the SPSRC-IT were found, specifically in the Physiological Conditions section, in the Gustatory and Olfactory Sense section, in the Vestibular Sense section, and in the Proprioceptive Sense section, with lower scores in the PT group. Moreover, children born at a lower gestational age or with lower weights had a higher risk of dysfunctions in processing gustatory and olfactory, vestibular, and proprioceptive stimuli. In conclusion, the SPSRC-IT suggested a potential link between prematurity and challenges in the development of sensory processing and self-regulation skills, especially in children with a very low birth weight and very low gestational age.
