Occurrence of multi-domain cognitive impairments higher in preterms, Finds study

Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Published On 2021-04-16 13:45 GMT | Update On 2021-04-17 12:38 GMT

Recent research has observed that majority of preterm children showed co-occurrence of impairments in multiple cognitive domains, but with no specific pattern of impairments and that the occurrence of multi-domain cognitive impairments is higher in preterms, according to the study published in the >BMC Pediatrics.

Preterm infants are at risk for functional impairments in motor, cognitive, and behavioral development that may persist into childhood.

Hencee, Elise Roze and associates from the Division of Neonatology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands and Divison of Neonatology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands conducted the present study to determine the co-occurrence of cognitive impairments in multiple cognitive domains at school age in very preterm born children compared to term-born children.

The authors carried out a comparative study including 60 very preterm-born children (gestational age ≤ 32 weeks) and 120 term-born controls. At school age the intelligence with the WISC-III, and visuomotor integration with the NEPSY-II, verbal memory with the AVLT, attention with the TEA-ch, and executive functioning with the BRIEF were assessed.

Furhtermoree, they investigated the co-occurrence of various abnormal (<5th percentile) and suspect-abnormal (<15th percentile, including both suspect and abnormal) cognitive functions.

The results seen were-

a. At mean age 8.8 years, 15% of preterm children had abnormal outcomes in multiple cognitive functions (≥2), versus 3% of the controls (odds ratio, OR 4.65, 95%-confidence interval, CI 1.33–16.35).

b. For multiple suspect-abnormal cognitive outcomes, rates were 55% versus 25% (OR 3.02, 95%-CI 1.49–6.12).

c. No pattern of co-occurrence of cognitive impairments among preterm children that deviated from term-born controls was found.

d. However, low performance IQ was more frequently accompanied by additional cognitive impairments in preterms than in controls (OR 5.43, 95%-CI 1.75–16.81).

Therefore, the authors concluded that "A majority of preterm children showed co-occurrence of impairments in multiple cognitive domains, but with no specific pattern of impairments. The occurrence of multi-domain cognitive impairments is higher in preterms but this seems to reflect a general increase, not one with a pattern specific for preterm-born children."

Article Source : BMC Pediatrics

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Dr. Nandita Mohan

Dr. Nandita Mohan is a practicing pediatric dentist with more than 5 years of clinical work experience. Along with this, she is equally interested in keeping herself up to date about the latest developments in the field of medicine and dentistry which is the driving force for her to be in association with Medical Dialogues. She also has her name attached with many publications; both national and international. She has pursued her BDS from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore and later went to enter her dream specialty (MDS) in the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry from Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences. Through all the years of experience, her core interest in learning something new has never stopped. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

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Occurrence of multi-domain cognitive impairments higher in preterms, Finds study

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