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Reading deficits in very low birthweight children are associated with vocabulary and attention issues at the age of seven
Author(s) -
Leijon Ingemar,
Ingemansson Fredrik,
Nelson Nina,
Wadsby Marie,
Samuelsson Stefan
Publication year - 2016
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.13094
Subject(s) - wechsler adult intelligence scale , medicine , cognition , intelligence quotient , wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence , spelling , reading (process) , developmental psychology , wechsler intelligence scale for children , checklist , pediatrics , gestational age , child behavior checklist , vocabulary , low birth weight , phonological awareness , clinical psychology , psychology , psychiatry , pregnancy , linguistics , philosophy , biology , political science , cognitive psychology , law , genetics
Aim This Swedish study compared reading skills between seven‐year‐old children with a very low birthweight ( VLBW ) and controls with a normal birthweight, exploring associations between reading variables and cognition, parent‐rated behaviour, perinatal factors and family factors. Methods We studied 51 VLBW children, with no major neurodevelopmental impairments and attending their first year at a regular school, and compared them with the 51 sex‐ and age‐matched controls. The test battery, carried out at 7.8 ± 0.4 years of age, included reading skills, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – III and the Child Behaviour Checklist. Results Very low birthweight children with a mean birthweight of 1105 g (±291 g) and a gestational age of 28.8 (±2.2) weeks scored significantly lower in all reading subtests and cognition and demonstrated more behavioural problems than normal birthweight controls. We also found significant associations between poor vocabulary, combined with attention problems, and phonological awareness, rapid naming and spelling control. Perinatal factors had no association with reading function, and socio‐economic factors had very few. Conclusion Very low birthweight children demonstrated deficits in all reading domains and had poorer cognition and more behavioural problems at the age of seven, with reading ability related to vocabulary and attention.