Abstract
To investigate the relation between neonatal brain ultrasound scan findings and later outcome in very preterm (<33 weeks) infants, cognitive and processing skills were tested at 8 years. 54 children were tested with the WISC-R and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) in the course of a detailed assessment. The mean WISC IQ was 103 ± sd 15. 24 (44%) of the children had a significant (p<0.05) subscale difference, including 16 where the verbal score was greater than the performance score. The mean Kaufman Mental Processing Composite was 110 ± sd 13 which was significantly greater (p<0.001) than the mean WISC IQ. 30 (56%) of the children had K-ABC processing scores which differed significantly, including 25 at the 1% level. In 26 of the 30 children the difference was in favour of sequential processing. These results suggest interference with right hemisphere function. There was no relation between simultaneous processing deficit and neonatal ultrasound brain scan findings. We speculate that the processing differences which have been found may account for the learning failure often reported in very preterm infants.
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Baudin, J., Lloyd, B., Edwards, D. et al. 39 ABNORMAL COGNITIVE AND PROCESSING SKILLS IN VERY PRETERM INFANTS AT 8 YEARS OF AGE. Pediatr Res 24, 267 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00065
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00065