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A longitudinal study of the intelligence and behavior of preterm and small for gestational age children
Insights
Children born small for gestational age (SGA) experienced lower IQ scores and more behavioral issues compared to normal birth weight peers. Being born preterm did not show these disadvantages.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Child Development
Background:
- Birth weight and gestational age are critical indicators of infant health.
- Understanding long-term developmental outcomes for preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) infants is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the intelligence and behavior of preterm, SGA, and full-term normal birth weight children.
- To investigate the impact of being born preterm versus SGA on cognitive and behavioral development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 850 children from Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Classification into three groups: preterm, small for gestational age (SGA), and full-term normal birth weight.
- Assessment of intelligence (IQ) at ages 3, 5, 7, and 9 years.
- Collection of parent and teacher behavior reports at ages 5, 7, and 9 years.
Main Results:
- Small for gestational age (SGA) children exhibited significantly lower IQ scores compared to full-term, normal birth weight children.
- Preterm children did not show significantly lower IQ scores than the normal birth weight group.
- Mothers of SGA children reported more behavioral problems.
- Socioeconomic factors did not account for the observed differences in the SGA group.
Conclusions:
- Being born small for gestational age (SGA) is associated with poorer cognitive and behavioral outcomes than being born preterm.
- The findings suggest that the risks associated with being born too small may be greater than those associated with being born too early.
Abstract:
A large sample of children (n = 850) from Dunedin, New Zealand, were classified into three groups, preterm (n = 31), small for gestational age (SGA; n = 71), and full-term, normal birth weight (n = 748). These groups were compared on intelligence measures taken at ages 3, 5, 7, and 9 years of age and parent and teacher behavior reports at 5, 7, and 9 years. The SGA group but not the preterm group had significantly lower IQ scores than the normal birth weight children. In addition, the mothers of the SGA children reported more behavior problems. These differences were not attributable to socioeconomic disadvantage in the SGA group. The results suggest "it is better to be born too early than too small."