A longitudinal study of the development of shifts of gaze to a peripheral stimulus in preterm infants with transient periventricular echogenicity.
Shifts of gaze to peripheral targets were studied longitudinally, between 6 and 26 weeks corrected age, in full-term and very preterm infants with transient periventricular echogenicity (PVE). Before 10 weeks, simple shifts of gaze were faster and more frequent in preterms with PVE<14 days than in full-terms, suggesting these preterms profited from additional early visual experience. After 16 weeks, there were subtle differences between full- and preterm infants in the development of shifts of gaze requiring disengagement. The differences suggest that, after disengagement had become established, its fine-tuning occurred more slowly in the preterms. Slower fine-tuning of disengagement was not associated with duration of PVE, since it was more marked in preterms with PVE<14 days than in preterms with PVE> or =14 days. The differences in performance between full- and preterm infants were small. However, even small differences may affect the efficiency of visually guided behaviors.
Butcher
Phillipa R
PR
Department of Developmental and Experimental Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands. p.r.butcher@ppsw.rug.nl
Kalverboer
Alex F
AF
Geuze
Reint H
RH
Stremmelaar
Elizabeth F
EF
D000367:Age Factors; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002657:Child Development; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology