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Published on: February 18, 2012
Executive function and preterm birth: A longitudinal study
Patricia M Blasco1, Serra Acar2, Sybille M Guy3
1Oregon Health & Science University, OR, United States of America.
Insights
Preterm infants show early executive function deficits and more behavioral concerns compared to full-term infants. Early identification of these executive function indicators can help reduce adverse outcomes associated with preterm birth.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Infants born with low birth weight (LBW) and preterm are at increased risk for developmental delays and cognitive deficits.
- These deficits can persist, leading to lifelong learning difficulties and high-risk behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify early indicators of executive function (EF) in preterm infants using standardized assessments.
- To compare behavioral and developmental measures between preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) infants.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study comparing PT and FT infants across three assessment sessions (6-8 months, 18-20 months, and a third session).
- Utilized the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III), the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DMQ), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Preschool (BRIEF-P).
- Multivariate linear models were employed to analyze group differences.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in BSID-III subtests and EF components were observed across all three assessment sessions.
- Preterm infants exhibited more behavioral concerns on the CBCL at 18 and 36 months and lower scores on the BRIEF-P compared to full-term peers.
- The proportion of preterm infants requiring Early Intervention services increased across the study period.
Conclusions:
- Early identification of executive function indicators in preterm infants is feasible through standardized assessments.
- These findings support the development of early detection strategies to mitigate adverse outcomes associated with preterm birth.
Abstract:
Infants born low birth weight (LBW) and preterm are at risk for developmental delay and cognitive deficits. These deficits can lead to lifelong learning difficulties and high-risk behaviors. Preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) groups were compared across infant and toddler measures of behavior and development to extract early indicators of executive function (EF). The goal was to extract indicators of EF from standardized infant assessments. PT (<2500 grams and <37 weeks) and FT (> 2500 grams and >37 weeks) were compared across assessment and EF components were identified from the BSID-III. A multivariate linear model was used to examine group differences. All children (99 PT and 46 FT) were administered the Bayley III and the DMQ assessments for session 1 (6-8 months). During session 2, N=78 PT and 37 FT (18-20 months), the CBCL was added to previous assessments, and the BRIEF-P was added to previous assessments in session 3, N= 52 PT and 36 FT for session 3 (See Table 1). Significant change scores were found on BSID-III subtests and EF components across all 3 sessions. The PT group also showed significantly more behavioral concerns on the CBCL at 18 months and 36 months and had lower scores on the BRIEF-P than their FT peers. The number of children born PT (N = 27, 52%) who were in Early Intervention (EI) increased across the 3 sessions. Examining early indicators of EFs supported the development of early identification that could lead to decrease adverse outcomes often associated with preterm birth.
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