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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Five-year neurodevelopmental assessment of extremely preterm or extremely low birthweight infants: Association with
Rikke Wiingreen1,2,3, Gorm Greisen2,3, Barbara Hoff Esbjørn4
1Department of Paediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital - North Zealand, Hilleroed, Denmark.
Insights
Preschool motor skills and intelligence quotient (IQ) predict later school difficulties. Early IQ also showed a moderate to high ability to predict academic challenges.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Motor performance and cognitive abilities in early childhood are crucial for academic success.
- Understanding the long-term impact of early development on educational outcomes is essential for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between preschool motor performance and IQ with later school difficulties and academic achievement.
- To evaluate the predictive accuracy of preschool IQ for identifying children at risk of academic challenges.
Main Methods:
- A nationwide cohort study followed children born between 1994-1995 with specific gestational age or birthweight criteria.
- Data linkage using the Danish personal identification number integrated cohort data with national registries.
- Logistic and linear regression analyses, along with receiver operator curve analysis, were employed to assess relationships.
Main Results:
- The study included 248 children, with 37% experiencing school difficulties.
- Both motor performance and IQ were significantly associated with school difficulties.
- Lower IQ correlated with increased odds of school difficulties and lower GPAs, with IQ demonstrating moderate/high predictive ability (AUC=0.80).
Conclusions:
- Early motor skills and IQ are significant predictors of later school difficulties.
- Preschool IQ serves as a valuable screening tool for identifying potential academic challenges.
- These findings highlight the importance of early developmental assessments for educational trajectories.
Aim:
We investigated the associations between motor performance and IQ at 5 years of age and school difficulties and grade point averages (GPAs) at 18 years of age. Additionally, the accuracy of preschool IQ in predicting school difficulties was examined.
Methods:
A nationwide follow-up study of children born in 1994-1995 who were <28 weeks of gestation or had a birthweight <1000 g. The Danish personal identification number was used to merge data from a national cohort study with population-based registries. Logistic regression analyses examined the associations between motor performance/IQ and school difficulties. Linear regression analyses and the area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) were used to examine the relationship between IQ and GPAs.
Results:
The study population comprised 248 children, 37% were classified with school difficulties. Motor performance and IQ were associated with school difficulties. The odds of having school difficulties increased as IQ decreased, and the same pattern was observed for GPAs. IQ predicted school difficulties, with an AUC of 0.80 (confidence interval: 0.74-0.86).
Conclusion:
Preschool motor performance and IQ were associated with school difficulties. Additionally, IQ was linked to GPAs. As a screening tool, the predictive ability of preschool IQ for academic difficulties was moderate/high in this cohort.
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