Developmental changes in the efficiency of attentional networks in very preterm children during the transition from preschool to school

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Children born very prematurely often experience developmental challenges.
• Attentional system development is crucial for school readiness.
• Early identification of attentional differences in preterm children is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine changes in attentional system efficiency in very preterm children.
• To compare attentional development between very preterm and full-term children during the preschool-to-school transition.
• To identify specific attentional networks that may be affected by very preterm birth.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study design.
• Inclusion of 71 Polish children (34 very preterm, 37 full-term).
• Administration of the Attention Network Task-Child Version at ages 5 and 6.

Main Results:

• At age 5, very preterm children exhibited reduced alerting and orienting efficiency compared to full-term peers.
• By age 6, alerting efficiency improved in the preterm group, matching controls.
• Attentional orienting differences persisted at age 6 between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Very preterm children show partial improvement in attentional functioning during early development.
• Persistent deficits in attentional orienting remain a concern for very preterm children.
• These findings highlight the need for targeted support for attentional development in this population.