Children Who were Very Low Birthweight: Cognitive Abilities and Classroom Behavior at Five Years of Age

Abstract

Sixty-two children who were born very low birthweight (VLBW; < 1,500 grams) in 1976 are now reaching school age, and their ability to meet the demands of school can be evaluated. These children, enrolled in regular classrooms, were matched by race and sex to full-term classmates at 5 years of age. Measures of cognitive abilities and visual motor integration were administered and teachers rated their classroom behavior. VLBW children scored significantly lower on measures of visual perceptual and visual motor function. Teachers rated VLBW children as having significantly more problems including attending to tasks, following directions, and being passive. These data suggest the need for early intervention programs. Furthermore, these data underscore the need for longitudinal follow-up into the elementary school years.