The association between perinatal and neonatal variables and neuropsychological development in very and extremely low-birth-weight preterm children at the beginning of primary school

Abstract

Preterm children with very low birth weight (<1,500 g) and extremely low birth weight (<1,000 g) have an increased risk of experiencing neuropsychological delays. The purpose of this study is to characterize the neuropsychological profile of very and extremely low birth weight preterm children and discover what maternal conditions, diseases, procedures, and alterations in preterm newborns could be related to their later neuropsychological development. Eighty-nine preterm children (aged from 5 to 7 years) were assessed on their intelligence quotient (IQ), executive function, memory, and visuospatial memory in a single session, using the RIST and NEPSY-II test. Parents provided sociodemographic data. Preterm children showed lower scores than normative values on impulsivity, visual short-term memory, and spatial relation abilities. Extremely-low-birth weight preterm children also showed less inhibitory control and worse mental rotation skills. Neonatal surgical procedures, late-onset sepsis, and periventricular hemorrhages had the greatest impact on neurodevelopment. When one or more of these conditions are present, memory is the most affected neuropsychological function, followed by visuospatial skills, inhibitory control, and IQ. It is important to take into account the presence of maternal conditions, diseases, interventions, and neonatal alterations in preterm newborns in order to determine the risk of neuropsychological delays in later development.

Keywords: Memory deficits; neurodevelopment; neuropsychological profile; perinatal risk; preterm.