title: Difficulty in mental, neuromusculoskeletal, and movement-related school functions associated with low birthweight or preterm birth: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE. Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis to investigate whether low birthweight (LBW) or preterm birth was associated with difficulty in mental, neuromusculoskeletal, and movement-related school function tasks. METHOD. Two search strategies produced 40 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis and yielded 549 effect sizes (d). Heterogeneity was evaluated by obtaining Q and I-squared values. Egger's regression intercept test and a funnel plot were used to check for publication bias. RESULTS. Children born LBW exhibited considerable difficulties in mental (d = -0.655, p < .0001) and neuromusculoskeletal and movement-related tasks (d = -0.391, p < .0001) compared with children of normal birthweight. Children born preterm also exhibited significant difficulties compared with full-term children in mental, neuromusculoskeletal, and movement-related tasks (d = -0.237, p < .0001). CONCLUSION. Deficits in mental and motor functions in children born LBW or preterm appear to have significant effects on school readiness and academic achievement.
authors.affiliation: Kinsuk Maitra, PhD, OTR/L, is Chair and Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 SW Eighth Street, MMC, AHC3 443, Miami, FL 33199; kmaitra@fiu.edu.
authors.forename: Kinsuk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maitra
authors.affiliation: Hae Yean Park, PhD, OT, is Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Occupational Therapy, Florida International University, Miami.
authors.forename: Hae Yean
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Jaime Eggenberger, Erin Knight, and Betty Ng are Students, Department of Occupational Therapy, Florida International University, Miami.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eggenberger
authors.affiliation: Angela Matthiessen, MSOT, OTR/L, is Director, CreatAbility, Inc., Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matthiessen
authors.affiliation: Jaime Eggenberger, Erin Knight, and Betty Ng are Students, Department of Occupational Therapy, Florida International University, Miami.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Jaime Eggenberger, Erin Knight, and Betty Ng are Students, Department of Occupational Therapy, Florida International University, Miami.
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*