Abstract
School-aged extremely preterm (EPT) children have multiple specific neurocognitive/behavioral disorders that are often associated with other disorders; this manifests a true neurobehavioral “phenotype” of prematurity. To determine a profile of cognitive/behavioral impairments in a population of school-aged EPT children (7–10 years-old) without major disabilities, a cross-sectional study was conducted in five medical centers. An algorithm distributed the study population according to four WISC-IV subtests, five NEPSY-2 subtests, and two variables of figure of Rey. The behavior (SDQ), anxiety (Spielberg STAI-C), and generic QoL (Kidscreen 10 and VSP-A) were also evaluated. The study included 231 school-aged EPT children. Three neurobehavioral “phenotypes” were defined according to their severity: 1 = moderately, 2 = minor, and 3 = unimpaired. In all the profiles, the working memory, perceptual reasoning, as well as mental flexibility, were close to or below average, and their emotional behavior was always troubled. Self-esteem and school-work were the most impacted QoL areas. The unimpaired neurobehavior exhibited emotional behavioral impairment and executive dysfunction. The profile analysis defined distinct outcome groups and provided an informative means of identifying factors related to developmental outcomes. The QoL deterioration is determined by the severity of the three neurobehavioral “phenotypes”, which is defined as well as by dysexecutive and/or behavioral disorders.
Highlights
There is a remarkable consistency in outcomes over time and between countries, cultures, and healthcare systems, which provides evidence for a universal “preterm phenotype” associated with the neurodevelopmental immaturity conferred by a very preterm (VP) birth [1]
Relative to those born at term, very preterm (VP) children are at an increased risk for cognitive impairments, attention deficits, and social–emotional problems
There were two group of children with multiple cognitive and behavioral impairments with a gradient of severity (Moderate (MODINB) and Minor (MINB)) and one group of children was classified with an unimpaired cognitive outcome with only slight dysexecutive impairment and emotional behavioral symptoms (UINB)
Summary
There is a remarkable consistency in outcomes over time and between countries, cultures, and healthcare systems, which provides evidence for a universal “preterm phenotype” associated with the neurodevelopmental immaturity conferred by a VP birth [1]. Relative to those born at term, very preterm (VP) children are at an increased risk for cognitive impairments, attention deficits, and social–emotional problems. There is no increased risk for disruptive or oppositional behavioral problems [2]. Developmental coordination disorders (DCD) are associated with behavioral, cognitive, and/or attention disorders [3,4] in EPT school-aged children who are free from severe deficiencies.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
