Impaired cognitive and motor functioning in very low birth weight children at 8 years of age

Background: While severe handicaps of VLBW children (<1500g) are well documented, subtle deficits require more Objectives: Profiles of the cognitive and motor abilities of 33 neurologically intact VLBW children at 8 years of age are described and compared with those of 224 NBW children (greater than or equal to500g). Methods: The data result from a prospective longitudinal study of a cohort of 362 children with different psychosocial and organic risk factors. Results: Nonverbal abilities of the VLBW group were those of the NBW children. A reduction of language skills is brought about by a high psychosocial risk, independent of birthweight. The test profiles in the VLBW group revealed no specific deficits. Conclusions: The findings indicate suboptimal right-hemispheric functions in VLBW children and a main effects model of psychosucial risk and low birthweight.