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Pritchard VE, Clark CA, Liberty K, et al. Early school-based learning difficulties in children born very preterm. Early Hum Dev. 2008;85(4):215-24doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.10.004.
Pritchard, V. E., Clark, C. A., Liberty, K., Champion, P. R., Wilson, K., & Woodward, L. J. (2009). Early school-based learning difficulties in children born very preterm. Early human development, 85(4), 215-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.10.004
Pritchard, Verena E, et al. "Early school-based learning difficulties in children born very preterm." Early human development vol. 85,4 (2009): 215-24. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.10.004
Pritchard VE, Clark CA, Liberty K, Champion PR, Wilson K, Woodward LJ. Early school-based learning difficulties in children born very preterm. Early Hum Dev. 2009 Apr;85(4):215-24. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.10.004. Epub 2008 Nov 20. PMID: 19022593.
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Early Hum Dev. 2009 Apr;85(4):215-24. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.10.004. Epub 2008 Nov 20.

Early school-based learning difficulties in children born very preterm.

Early human development

Verena E Pritchard, Caron A C Clark, Kathleen Liberty, Patricia R Champion, Kimberley Wilson, Lianne J Woodward

Affiliations

  1. Canterbury Child Development Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. [email protected]

PMID: 19022593 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.10.004

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Educational underachievement is a major morbidity associated with very preterm (VPT) birth. However, few studies have examined early school outcomes with most employing global, clinic based measures.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the early school achievement in a cohort of children born VPT and studied to age 6 years.

METHODS: A regional cohort of 102 VPT children (

RESULTS: VPT children performed less well than FT children on WJ-III subtests (ps<.05), national tests (ps<.01), and in all curricular areas rated by teachers (ps<.01) except expressive language. Even VPT children without severe neurodevelopmental impairment scored lower on the WJ-III math, national tests (ps<.05) and were 2-3 times more likely to show delays (ps<.02) in math (43% vs. 19%), written language (36% vs. 22%), language comprehension (26% vs. 14%), handwriting (36% vs. 17%), spelling (38% vs. 30%) and physical education (33% vs. 11%). They were also twice as likely as FT children to have math LD (47% vs. 21%).

CONCLUSIONS: By age 6, a substantial proportion of VPT children are lagging behind their FT peers across multiple curriculum areas, with difficulties being most prominent in math. Findings highlight the need for early identification and educational supports to help maximise VPT children's learning opportunities during the transition to school.

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