Visuospatial and verbal fluency relative deficits in 'complicated' late-preterm preschool children.
BACKGROUND
Late-preterm children constitute a majority of all preterm deliveries (75%). Their immature brain development at birth has been associated with an increased risk for morbidities. Data have been sparse regarding neuropsychological outcomes in the preschool years.


OBJECTIVE
To examine general cognition, attention/working memory, language, manual coordination/motor dexterity, visuomotor, visuospatial, and executive functions in preschoolers born late-preterm (LPT; 34-36 gestational weeks) who required NICU admission compared to term-born participants.


METHODS
Single-center retrospective cohort study of 95 three-year-old children; 60 born LPT in 2004-2005 and admitted to the NICU compared to 35 healthy term-born participants born > or =37 gestational weeks and > or =2500 g.


RESULTS
LPT birth was associated with visuospatial (p=.005), visuomotor (p=.012), and executive function (noun [p=.018] and action-verb [p=.026] fluency) relative deficits, but not attention/working memory, receptive or expressive language, nonverbal reasoning, or manual coordination/dexterity deficit.


CONCLUSIONS
Late-preterm birth is likely to be associated with negative neuropsychological sequelae, although subtle and selective compared to effects reported for children born at an earlier gestational age. Visuospatial function appears to be especially vulnerable to disruption even at preschool age, and verbal fluency may be useful as an early predictor of executive dysfunction in childhood. Routine preschool neuropsychological evaluation is recommended to identify delay or deficit in LPT children preparing for school entry, and may highlight underlying vulnerable neural networks in LPT children.
Baron
Ida Sue
IS
Department of Pediatrics, Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, Virginia 22042, USA. ida@isbaron.com
Erickson
Kristine
K
Ahronovich
Margot D
MD
Coulehan
Kelly
K
Baker
Robin
R
Litman
Fern R
FR
D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000502:physiology; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D047929:Term Birth / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology