A study suggests that even healthy premature babies are at high risk for lower academic achievement, especially in math. Although they may be deemed ‘normal’ in terms of their development, but still remains a risk for significant math difficulties, as well as deficits in attention, executive functions and spatial skills.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have undertaken a longitudinal study designed to track the developmental trajectory in cognitive, academic and brain measures as very premature children transition from preschool to grade school. The goal of the current study is to provide these essential data as children enter a critical developmental stage when intervention may have the best potential to achieve better outcomes for these children.
Participants will include 60 healthy children born at 25 to 32 gestational weeks with average intelligence, and 40 full-term children matched for age, sex and verbal IQ. Results will provide the foundation for designing appropriate learning interventions, researchers said.
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