Executive function in children born preterm: Risk factors and implications for outcome

Abstract

Executive function (EF) refers to the set of cognitive processes involved in the self-regulation of emotion and goal-directed behavior. These skills and the brain systems that support them develop throughout childhood and are frequently compromised in preterm children, even in those with broadly average global cognitive ability. Risks for deficits in EF in preterm children, and attendant problems in learning and psychosocial functioning, are higher in those with more extreme prematurity, neonatal complications, and related brain abnormalities. Associations of higher levels of EF with more supportive home and school environments suggest a potential for attenuating these risks, especially with early identification. Further research is needed to understand how deficits in EF evolve in preterm children, refine assessment methods, and develop interventions that either promote the development of EF in this population or help children to compensate for these weaknesses.

Exposures to structural racism and racial discrimination among pregnant and early post‐partum Black women living in Oakland, California

“…Given that preterm birth and low birthweight are the leading causes of infant mortality and are associated with long-term cognitive developmental child and adult health issues, it is imperative to understand factors associated with these disparities (Farooqi, Adamsson, Serenius, & Hägglöf, 2016;Taylor & Clark, 2016).…”

Children with a very low birthweight showed poorer reading skills at eight years of age but caught up in most areas by the age of 10

“…Schoolchildren who are born very preterm, at up to 32 weeks of gestation and with very low birthweights (VLBW) of up to 1500 g, still face a relatively greater risk of impaired neurobehavioral outcomes, even if they do not have neurological abnormalities. These include deficits in cognition and executive function, as well as problems that affect their academic performance . Due to the gradual increase in survival rates of very preterm and VLBW children, there is growing concern that the number of children who develop learning problems and neurocognitive impairment will increase.…”

A longitudinal model of executive function development from birth through adolescence in children born very or extremely preterm

“…It has been suggested that executive dysfunction may mediate the relationship between preterm birth and below average academic achievement and social competence in young adulthood reported in the literature (Anderson et al, 2010;Burnett, Scratch, & Anderson, 2013;Kroll et al, 2017;Luu, Ment, Allan, Schneider, & Vohr, 2011). However, studies presented so far are inconclusive (Taylor & Clark, 2016). Nosarti and colleagues reported that among children born very preterm in the late 1970s and early 1980s, executive function deficits, identified at school age, persisted into young adulthood.…”