ABSTRACT
The present paper forms part of a larger prospective study and reports on the psychological performance of preterm children (n = 68) and fullterm control children (n = 36) at preschool age. Intelligence quotients (IQs) of intrauterine growth retarded (IUGR) preterm children were lower than those of appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) preterm children or fullterm controls at preschool age. Specific deficiencies (visuomotor, language) were found in 30% of the IUGR group and in 9% of the AGA group. When measuring general intellectual capacity, specific areas of intellectual function should be included by means of appropriate psychological tests, because a child may have a normal IQ but still show specific deficiencies.
Subject(s)
Child Development , Fetal Growth Retardation/psychology , Infant, Premature, Diseases/psychology , Neurocognitive Disorders/psychology , Psychological Tests , Attention , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/psychology , Child Behavior Disorders/psychology , Child, Preschool , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pregnancy , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
As part of a prospective follow-up study of two premature cohorts (gestational age less than or equal to 36 weeks) born between 1976 and 1977, designed to evaluate the effects of IUGR on morbidity, mortality and neurological development in prematurely born children, 71 prematurely born children (48 AGA, 23 IUGR) without major neurological handicaps were subjected to detailed assessment of their neurological and psychological status at the age of 4 years. Thirty-six healthy full-term children formed a control group. The socioeconomic status of the families of the premature groups was similar to that of the families of the control group. The assessment consisted of a neurodevelopmental screening test and four psychological tests. Validation of the NDS test in relation to proven cognitive problems (sensitivity 96%, specificity 64%, relative risk 16.74) and determination of normal ranges were based on findings in the control group. There were significantly more children with moderate to high risk scores (greater than or equal to 10) among the IUGR group than among the AGA group. The neurodevelopmental profile of the preterm IUGR group was characterized by complex deviations of motor, visual and perceptual functions from normal. Preterm AGA children had only slightly higher risk scores in relation to fine motor, upper motor and perceptive functions than control children. Of the various perinatal factors studied, IUGR (especially in relation to boys who needed respirator therapy) was the most likely to be associated with abnormal NDS scores before school age.
Subject(s)
Brain Damage, Chronic/diagnosis , Child Development , Fetal Growth Retardation/diagnosis , Neurocognitive Disorders/diagnosis , Neuropsychological Tests , Child, Preschool , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pregnancy , Psychometrics , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
As part of the more extensive project concerned with atherosclerosis precursors in Finnish children, this article aims at describing the method developed for epidemiological estimation of habitual physical activity, discussing the reliability and validity of the method and reporting the results of the application of this strategy in the measurement of habitual physical activity among 3 to 18-year-old Finnish boys and girls. The questionnaire for the measurement of physical activity was addressed to the parents of 3- and 6-year-old subjects (younger group) and to the subjects themselves in 9- to 18-year-olds (older group). Using four variables in the younger group and nine variables in the older group, sum indices of physical activity were made. Internal consistency coefficients (Kuder--Richardson) varied in the younger group from .57 to .63 and in the older group from .56 to .79. Most Finnish children and adolescents were physically active during their leisure-time. For comparison of passive and active children, screening for passive ones was difficult. Differences between East and West Finland associated with many risk factors, were not detected in the physical activity patterns of children and adolescents. On the other hand, the physical activity pattern was significantly determined by the local environment. In sparsely populated areas, young people were more inactive than in densely populated areas.