[Detection of executive function disorders with a standard neurodevelopmental follow-up of premature children].

Introduction: A significant proportion of prematurely born children encounter behavioral difficulties, such as attention deficit or hyperactivity, which could be due to executive function disorders.

Aims: To examine whether the standard neurodevelopmental assessment offered to premature children in Switzerland recognizes executive function disorders.

Methods: The study population consisted of 49 children born before 29 weeks of gestation who were examined between 5 and 6 years of age with a standard assessment, with additional items to assess executive functioning.

Maternal interactive behaviour as a predictor of preschoolers' attachment representations among full term and premature samples.

Background: Associations between maternal sensitivity and child attachment have been established in many samples, but the strength of the association varies across populations. The sensitivity-attachment link has never been examined at the level of representations nor among premature samples.

Objective: The present study is aimed at exploring associations between maternal interactive behaviour and children's attachment representations in a population of preterm and full-term infants.

[Pediatrics. Developmental care in neonatology].

Developmental care is a multidisciplinary approach aiming at improving the premature newborn's well-being through individualized observation and care, and at limiting environmental nociceptive stimuli. The aim is to lessen neonatal morbidity and enhance long-term psychomotor development in this population of high-risk newborns.

Prematurity, maternal stress and mother-child interactions.

Objective: Previous studies have shown that premature birth and the immaturity of the child can affect the quality of the parent-child relationship. The present study examines the relationship between maternal and infant interactional behavior over time and infant perinatal risk factors as well as maternal perinatal recollected traumatic experience. Few studies have explored the relationship between maternal stress and the quality of parent-infant interaction.

Neurodevelopmental outcome and school performance of very-low-birth-weight infants at 8 years of age.

The neurodevelopmental outcome and school performance of 50 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and 33 small for gestational age (SGA) very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, compared to a control group (41 Term infants) were assessed at 8 years of age. The incidence of major handicaps among AGA and SGA/VLBW infants respectively, was 16% and 6%. No major handicap was found in the control group.