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The cognitive development of children born preterm and affected by spastic diplegia
E Fedrizzi1, M Inverno, G Botteon
1Department of Developmental Neurology, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico C. Besta, Milano, Italy.
Insights
Intellectual development in preterm children with spastic diplegia shows a persistent disharmonic profile, particularly in motor and performance skills, compared to low-risk preterm peers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Spastic diplegia is a common form of cerebral palsy affecting premature infants.
- Understanding the long-term intellectual development of these children is crucial for early intervention.
- Previous research indicates potential neurodevelopmental challenges in preterm populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the intellectual development of premature children with spastic diplegia to low-risk preterm children.
- To identify specific areas of cognitive strength and weakness in diplegic children.
- To track developmental trajectories from age 3 to 6 years.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study design.
- Inclusion of 20 premature children with spastic diplegia and 10 low-risk preterm controls.
- Psychometric assessments using the Griffiths Scale at 3 years and the WPPSI Scale at 6 years.
Main Results:
- Diplegic children exhibited a disharmonic neuropsychological profile at both 3 and 6 years.
- Poorest performance in diplegic children was observed in locomotor, eye-hand coordination, and performance subscales (Griffiths) and performance subtests (WPPSI).
- Significant performance differences were noted between groups at both assessment ages.
Conclusions:
- Premature children with spastic diplegia demonstrate persistent, specific cognitive deficits.
- Early identification of these developmental patterns is essential for targeted support.
- The findings underscore the need for comprehensive neurodevelopmental monitoring in this population.
Abstract:
In a prospective study the intellectual development of 20 premature children affected by spastic diplegia was compared with that of 10 preterm low-risk children. The assessment was carried out with the Griffiths scale at the age of 3 years and with the WPPSI scale at the age of 6 years. The analysis of data collected in the 2 psychometric evaluations of the preterm-born diplegic children showed a disharmonic profile of neuropsychological functions, already present at the age of 3 years and confirmed at the age of 6 years. The average scores in diplegic children were poorest in the subscales locomotor, eye-hand coordination, and performance on Griffiths scale, and in the performance subtests of the WPPSI scale. The mean scores of subscales for hearing and speech, and practical reasoning on the Griffiths scale and of the verbal subscale of the WPPSI were near to the lower range of the normal distribution. Significant differences in performance subtests were found between the groups of preterm diplegic children and the group of low-risk preterm children, both at 3 and 6 years of age.