189 Young Adults Born Preterm with Very-Low-Birth-Weight Have Visual Perceptual and Visuo-Motor Impairments

Abstract

Background and aims: Visuo-motor and visual perceptual problems have been frequently reported in very low birth weight (VLBW: birth weight ≤1500 grams) children and adolescents, but few studies have assessed these skills in young adulthood. The aim of study was to examine whether young adults born with VLBW have more problems with visuo-motor integration, motor coordination and visual perception compared to controls.Methods: 40 young adults with VLBW and 57 term born controls were examined at age 19-20 years. Visuo-motor skills were evaluated with the Developmental test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) and the Motor coordination test, and visual perceptual skills with the Motor-Free Visual Perception test (MVPT). Visual function was examined at age 14 years.Results: VLBW subjects had significantly lower scores on VMI and the Motor coordination test compared with controls. They also had lower MVPT scores than controls, and one in three (34.1%) had visual perceptual problems, defined as < -1SD of the control mean. The visual perceptual problems were found in VLBW females only, who also had increased risk of visual perceptual impairments, defined as < -2 SD of the control mean (Odds ratio 11.0; CI: 1.2-98.6). Subtasks affected were Visual Closure, Spatial Orientation and Complex Visual Discrimination. Correction for visual function influenced results, but did not remove group and sex differences.Conclusions: Visuo-motor problems persisted into adulthood for VLBW subjects. A high proportion of VLBW females had a visual perceptual problem, indicating a possible sex difference in more complex visual perceptual abilities among VLBW subjects.