title: Emotional and effortful control abilities in 42-month-old very preterm and full-term children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very preterm (VP) infants are at greater risk for cognitive difficulties that may persist during school-age, adolescence and adulthood. Behavioral assessments report either effortful control (part of executive functions) or emotional reactivity/regulation impairments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to examine whether emotional recognition, reactivity, and regulation, as well as effortful control abilities are impaired in very preterm children at 42 months of age, compared with their full-term peers, and to what extent emotional and effortful control difficulties are linked.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children born very preterm (VP; < 29 weeks gestational age, n=41) and full-term (FT) aged-matched children (n=47) participated in a series of specific neuropsychological tests assessing their level of emotional understanding, reactivity and regulation, as well as their attentional and effortful control abilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VP children exhibited higher scores of frustration and fear, and were less accurate in naming facial expressions of emotions than their aged-matched peers. However, VP children and FT children equally performed when asked to choose emotional facial expression in social context, and when we assessed their selective attention skills. VP performed significantly lower than full terms on two tasks of inhibition when correcting for verbal skills. Moreover, significant correlations between cognitive capacities (effortful control) and emotional abilities were evidenced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to their FT peers, 42 month-olds who were born very preterm are at higher risk of exhibiting specific emotional and effortful control difficulties. The results suggest that these difficulties are linked. Ongoing behavioral and emotional impairments starting at an early age in preterms highlight the need for early interventions based on a better understanding of the relationship between emotional and cognitive difficulties.
authors.affiliation: SensoriMotor, Affective and Social Development Lab, Geneva, Switzerland; University of Bourgogne, LEAD-CNRS, Dijon, France. Electronic address: arnaud.witt@u-bourgogne.fr.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.affiliation: SensoriMotor, Affective and Social Development Lab, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Theurel
authors.affiliation: Division of Development and Growth, Department of Child and Adolescent, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Cristina Borradori
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Tolsa
authors.affiliation: Child Clinical Neuropsychology Unit, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fleur
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lejeune
authors.affiliation: Division of Development and Growth, Department of Child and Adolescent, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Follow-up Unit, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital,Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Laurence van Hanswijck
authors.initials: Lv
authors.lastname: de Jonge
authors.affiliation: Follow-up Unit, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital,Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maryline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monnier
authors.affiliation: Follow-up Unit, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital,Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bickle Graz
authors.affiliation: Child Clinical Neuropsychology Unit, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Koviljka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barisnikov
authors.affiliation: SensoriMotor, Affective and Social Development Lab, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edouard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gentaz
authors.affiliation: Division of Development and Growth, Department of Child and Adolescent, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Petra S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Hüppi
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005639:Frustration; D006801:Humans; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: Development; Effortful control; Emotion; Emotional regulation; Executive functions; Very preterm children