Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2025
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Grade 7 school performance of children born preterm: a retrospective Canadian Cohort study
Deepak Louis1, Hammam Akil2, Sapna Oberoi3
1Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Rady Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. dlouis@hsc.mb.ca.
Insights
Preterm birth is linked to lower grade 7 math and engagement scores. Early screening and support are recommended for preterm children in middle school.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Limited data exists on middle school outcomes for preterm children.
- Previous studies often have methodological limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between preterm birth and academic performance in grade 7.
- To analyze performance in mathematics and student engagement competencies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective population-based cohort study in Manitoba, Canada (1994-2006).
- Included preterm and term children, with a sibling cohort analysis.
- Examined preterm birth (<28, 28-33, 34-36 weeks) and grade 7 outcomes using multivariable logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Preterm children showed higher rates of not meeting mathematics (17-43%) and engagement (24-42%) competencies compared to term children (13% and 24%).
- Preterm birth was significantly associated with poorer outcomes in both mathematics and student engagement.
- No significant outcome differences were observed in the sibling cohort.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth is associated with diminished grade 7 academic performance.
- Targeted screening and support systems are crucial for preterm children during middle school.
- Findings highlight the need for continued research into long-term outcomes of preterm birth.
Importance:
Data on the middle school outcomes of preterm children are limited and have methodologic issues.
Objective:
To study the association between preterm birth and grade 7 school performance.
Methods:
A retrospective population-based cohort study of children born in Manitoba, Canada between 1994 and 2006 using their grade 7 school performance data. A secondary sibling cohort was created comprising children born preterm and their full-term siblings. Primary exposure was preterm birth categorized as <28, 28-33 and 34-36 weeks gestation. The two co-primary grade 7 outcome measures were: not meeting the mathematics competencies, and not meeting the student engagement competencies. Multivariable logistic regression models tested the association between preterm birth and both co-primary outcomes; adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.
Results:
7653 preterm (gestational age median [IQR]: 35 weeks [34,36]) and 110,313 term (40 [39,40]) were included. 43% of < 28 weeks, 18% of 28-33 weeks and 17% of 34-36 weeks had the mathematics co-primary outcome compared to 13% of term children. The corresponding % for the student engagement outcome were 42%, 24%, 24% and 24% respectively. Preterm birth was associated with the mathematics (<28 weeks: 5.48, 3.89-7.70; 28-33 weeks: 1.47, 1.27-1.70; 34-36 weeks: 1.26, 1.16-1.35) and student engagement outcomes (<28 weeks: 2.49, 1.76-3.51; 28-33 weeks: 1.21, 1.06-1.39; 34-36 weeks: 1.09, 1.01-1.16). However, there was no difference in outcomes among the sibling cohort.
Conclusions And Relevance:
Children born preterm had lower grade 7 performance compared to children born term in this population-based cohort. Screening and supports for them in their middle school years are warranted.
