Social Cognition in Children Born Preterm: A Perspective on Future Research Directions

Norbert Zmyj,Sarah Witt,Thomas Lücke,Helmut Neumann,Almut Weitkämper

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00455

Abstract

Preterm birth is a major risk factor for children’s development. It affects children’s cognitive and intellectual development and is related to impairments in IQ, executive functions, and well-being, with these problems persisting into adulthood. While preterm children’s intellectual and cognitive development has been studied in detail, their social development and social-cognitive competencies have received less attention. Namely, preterm children show problems in interactions with others. These interaction problems are present in relationships with parents, teachers, and peers. Parents’ behavior has been identified as a possible mediator of children’s social behavior. Maternal sensitivity and responsiveness as well as absence of mental disorders foster children’s social development. In this article, we will report on the social side of impairments that preterm children face. The review of the literature revealed that preterm infants’ joint attention abilities are impaired: They are less likely to initiate joint attention with others and to respond to others’ efforts to engage in joint attention. These deficits in joint attention might contribute to later impairments in social cognition, which in turn might affect social interaction skills. Based on these three domains (i.e., problems in social interaction, parental behavior, and impairments in joint attention), we suggest that preterm children’s social cognitive abilities should be investigated more intensively.

Highlights

Preterm birth is a major risk factor for children’s development (Aarnoudse-Moens et al, 2009b). It affects preterm children’s motor development (Jeyaseelan et al, 2006; Sansavini et al, 2015) and somatic health (Saigal and Doyle, 2008), as well as their cognitive and intellectual development: Impairments in IQ, executive functions, and well-being are related to a preterm birth, and these problems persist into adulthood (Løhaugen et al, 2010)
While these factors of preterm children’s intellectual and cognitive development have been studied in detail, their social development and social-cognitive competencies have received less attention
It should be noted that the definitions of preterm and very preterm birth vary across studies, both in the criteria used and the specific critical values

Summary

Introduction

Preterm birth is a major risk factor for children’s development (Aarnoudse-Moens et al, 2009b). Some studies indicate that preterm children do not, in general, show more difficulties in social interaction than their peers. The predictive power of gestational age and brain abnormalities might serve as an explanation for one report that does not support the suggestion of differences in social competence between preterm and full-term children (Jacob et al, 1984).

Results

Conclusion