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Parents tend to underestimate cognitive deficits in 10‐ to 13‐year‐olds born with an extremely low birth weight
Author(s) -
Koivisto Annika,
Klenberg Liisa,
Tommiska Viena,
Lano Aulikki,
Laine Matti,
Fellman Vineta,
Haavisto Anu
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.13087
Subject(s) - neuropsychology , cognition , medicine , neuropsychological assessment , neuropsychological test , pediatrics , intelligence quotient , cohort , low birth weight , executive functions , cognitive test , birth weight , gestational age , clinical psychology , psychology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Aim This study determined the cognitive outcomes of Finnish children born with an extremely low birth weight ( ELBW ) and assessed the agreement between their neuropsychological assessment and how their parents evaluated their cognitive difficulties. Methods The study focused on 121 children from an ELBW cohort with a mean age of 11.6 years (range 10.3–13.8) and assessed them using a standardised test of intelligence, a neuropsychological test battery and a parental developmental questionnaire. The results were compared with the test norms. Results ELBW children exhibited global cognitive impairment compared to the test norms, with no differences between children who were small or appropriate for gestational age. Children with average intelligence displayed specific impairment in executive, sensorimotor and visuospatial functions. Corresponding functions in the parental evaluation and neuropsychological assessment were associated, but 16–26% of children scoring under the clinical cut‐off value in the neuropsychological test domains were not detected by the parental evaluations. Conclusion Children born with an ELBW faced a high risk of global cognitive impairment at a mean age of 11.6 years, and those with average intelligence were at risk of specific cognitive sequelae. Compared to the neuropsychological tests, up to one‐fourth of the parents underestimated their child's cognitive problems.