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Predictors of language and reading outcomes in 12-year-old children born very preterm

Martina Hedenius1, Martin Johansson2, Ylva Fredriksson Kaul2,3

  • 1Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|September 2, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Language and reading difficulties in very preterm children at age 12 were not fully explained by non-verbal IQ. Early language assessments showed low predictive value, highlighting the need for school-age evaluations.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestation) often experience developmental challenges.
  • Language and reading skills are crucial for academic success and long-term outcomes.
  • Predicting long-term language and reading outcomes in preterm children remains an important clinical and research question.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify predictors of language and reading outcomes in 12-year-old Swedish children born very preterm.
  • To investigate the role of neonatal factors, early language development, and non-verbal IQ in later language and reading abilities.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of very preterm children (n=78) and term-born controls (n=50) were assessed at 12 years of age.
  • Assessments included verbal IQ, language fluency, sentence recall, reading fluency, and decoding.
  • Data were correlated with neonatal characteristics, early language (Bayley-III at 2.5 years), and concurrent non-verbal IQ.

Main Results:

  • Preterm children exhibited significant language and reading difficulties not solely explained by non-verbal IQ.
  • Extremely preterm (<28 weeks) children showed specific linguistic weaknesses.
  • Antenatal steroids, retinopathy of prematurity, and persistent ductus arteriosus uniquely predicted language and reading outcomes.
  • Early language assessments at 2.5 years had limited predictive value for 12-year-old outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Language and reading difficulties in very preterm children persist into school age and are not fully accounted for by non-verbal IQ.
  • Early language assessments are insufficient for identifying children needing later support.
  • Regular language assessments during school age are essential for timely identification and intervention for persistent linguistic difficulties.
Abstract

Keywords:
cognitive abilitylanguage developmentlongitudinal studyreading abilityvery preterm

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