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Neuropsychological performance in low birth weight preschoolers: a population-based, controlled study
K Sommerfelt1, T Markestad, B Ellertsen
1Department of Paediatrics, Barneklinikken, Haukeland Sykehus, Norway.
Insights
Low birth weight children show deficits in visuo-spatial and visuo-motor skills. Maternal chorio-amnionitis and small head circumference at birth are potential risk factors for impaired neurodevelopment in these children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) affects neurodevelopment.
- Preschool children with LBW require evaluation for cognitive and motor skills.
- Identifying predictors of neurodevelopmental outcomes in LBW is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess neuropsychological performance in preschool children with low birth weight (LBW).
- To identify pre- and perinatal predictors of neurodevelopmental outcomes in LBW children.
Main Methods:
- Compared 137 LBW children (birth weight < 2000g) with 152 normal birth weight controls.
- Utilized Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Revised, Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, and manual dexterity/figure copying tests.
- Controlled for confounding parental factors.
Main Results:
- LBW children scored significantly lower on visuo-spatial and visuo-motor tasks compared to controls.
- Maternal chorio-amnionitis and prolonged premature rupture of membranes were associated with lower performance IQ in LBW children.
- Small head circumference at birth was a significant predictor of impaired performance.
Conclusions:
- Low birth weight is linked to impaired visuo-spatial and visuo-motor abilities in preschool children.
- Maternal chorio-amnionitis and reduced head circumference at birth are identified as potential risk factors for neurodevelopmental impairment in LBW infants.
Unlabelled:
The aim was to evaluate neuropsychological performance and its pre-, and perinatal predictors in low birth weight (LBW) preschool children. A population-based sample of 137 5-year-old children with birth weights less than 2000 g and without major handicaps was compared with a random sample of 152 normal birth weight term controls. Main assessment tools were all subscales from the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Revised, subscales from the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities and tests of manual dexterity and figure copying. The LBW children showed significantly lower mean scores compared to controls on tests of visuo-spatial and visuo-motor abilities, but were comparable to controls in other areas, confounding parental factors were controlled for. 14 of the LBW children, there were signs of maternal chorio-amnionitis. Twelve of these had premature rupture of membranes lasting more than 24 h. These 14 children had a mean performance IQ of 87 (SD 5) compared to 100 (SD 15) for the LBW children without maternal signs of chorio-amnionitis (P = 0.001). Having a small head circumference at birth was a less powerful, but statistically significant predictor of impaired performance.
Conclusion:
Low birth weight is associated with impaired performance on visuo-spatial and visuo-motor tasks. Signs of maternal chorio-amnionitis and a small head circumference at birth may be risk factors for such impairment.