Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2025

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

85.9K

The Relationship of Preterm and Small for Gestational Age with Child Cognition During School-Age Years

Phuong Thi Nguyen1, Phuong Hong Nguyen2, Lan Mai Tran3

  • 1Pediatric Department, Thai Nguyen University of Pharmacy and Medicine, Thai Nguyen, Vietnam.

The Journal of Nutrition
|June 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Children born small for gestational age (SGA) experience lasting cognitive and academic deficits into school age. Preterm birth did not show similar effects on cognitive outcomes in this Vietnamese study.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Global Health

Background:

  • Children born preterm and/or small for gestational age (SGA) face heightened risks for cognitive impairments, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
  • Understanding these long-term effects is crucial for developing targeted interventions in vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate cognitive and academic performance differences in school-aged children born preterm or SGA compared to term-born, appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) children.
  • To assess the persistence of these deficits over time and the impact of maternal and environmental factors.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of children from a micronutrient supplementation trial in Vietnam were categorized into preterm AGA, term SGA, and term AGA groups.
  • Cognitive abilities were evaluated using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) at ages 6-7 and 10-11 years, assessing verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed, and full-scale IQ.
  • Academic achievement was measured through mathematics and language tests, with statistical analyses including ANOVA and multiple regression.

Main Results:

  • Children born SGA exhibited significantly lower cognitive scores (VCI, PRI, PSI, FSIQ) at both assessment points compared to term AGA children.
  • SGA children also demonstrated poorer academic achievement in language and mathematics.
  • While adjustments for maternal education and home environment reduced some associations, key cognitive and language differences persisted at age 10-11 years; no significant differences were found for preterm AGA children.

Conclusions:

  • Birth phenotype, particularly being small for gestational age, is strongly associated with enduring cognitive and academic deficits throughout school age.
  • These findings underscore the need for interventions aimed at improving birth outcomes and supporting child development in LMICs.
  • Further research is warranted to implement effective strategies to mitigate these long-term consequences.
Abstract

Keywords:
Vietnamacademic achievementcognitionpretermsmall for gestational age

More Related Videos

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats07:36

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats

Published on: November 20, 2015

11.3K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

34.0K

Related Concept Videos

Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
33
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
88
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
340
Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
272
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
40
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
610