Role of early cognition/language in later language ability during childhood - A longitudinal comparison study.

Background: Many factors may influence early language development, but the precise impact of cognitive development remains unclear.

Aims: This study aims to explore how cognitive development contributes to language ability and to compare the explanatory value of early cognitive and language ability at 2;0 (years;months) on the language ability at 3;6 and at 5;0.

Methods: Sixty-one typically developing children were followed up.

Finnish children born very preterm have good reading comprehension but weak reading fluency at age 11 years - a longitudinal cohort study.

Children born very preterm (<32 gestational weeks and/or birth weight ≤1500 g) are at elevated risk for reading difficulties. This study aimed to investigate reading fluency and reading comprehension at 11 and to analyze the associations between literacy skills at 7 and reading skills at 11 in 134 Finnish-speaking very preterm children. At 11, reading fluency and reading comprehension were evaluated.

Association between working memory performance and parent and teacher ratings of working memory in 11-year-old children born preterm.

Working memory (WM) difficulties are often observed in children born preterm. We examined whether performance-based measures of WM components are associated with parent- and teacher-rated WM difficulties in the everyday life of children born very preterm and/or at very low birth weight (VPT/VLBW) at 11 years ( = 165). The WM components as defined in the original Baddeley's model - phonological loop (PL), visuospatial sketchpad (VS), and central executive (CE) - were assessed with tasks from the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (WMTB-C) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth edition (WISC-IV).

Web-based follow-up tool (ePIPARI) of preterm infants-study protocol for feasibility and performance.

Background: Preterm infants have a risk of health and developmental problems emerging after discharge. This indicates the need for a comprehensive follow-up to enable early identification of these problems. In this paper, we introduce a follow-up tool "ePIPARI - web-based follow-up for preterm infants".

Associations between early lexical composition and pre-reading skills at 5 years - A longitudinal study.

Background: At the end of the second year, children's lexical compositions (LexC) differ significantly in terms of variety of lexical categories (nouns, verbs, adjectives, closed-class words). The aim of this study was to investigate whether this variation is associated with acquisition of pre-reading skills (PreRS) at 5;0.

Aims: To study the associations between LexC at 2;0 and PreRS at 5;0 and to examine the possible explaining value of LexC and lexicon size for PreRS.

Associations between Language at 2 Years and Literacy Skills at 7 Years in Preterm Children Born at Very Early Gestational Age and/or with Very Low Birth Weight.

Preterm children (born <37 gestational weeks) who are born at very early gestational age (<32 weeks, very preterm, VP) and/or with very low birth weight (≤1500 g, VLBW) are at increased risk for language and literacy deficits. The continuum between very early language development and literacy skills among these children is not clear. Our objective was to investigate the associations between language development at 2 years (corrected age) and literacy skills at 7 years in VP/VLBW children.

Diffusion tensor imaging is associated with motor outcomes of very preterm born children at 11 years of age.

Aim: Very preterm children born <32 weeks of gestation are at risk for motor difficulties such as cerebral palsy and developmental coordination disorder. This study explores the association between diffusion tensor imaging metrics at term and motor outcomes at 11 years of age.

Methods: A cohort of 37 very preterm infants (mean gestational age 29 4/7, SD 2 0/7) born in 2004-2006 in Turku University Hospital underwent diffusion tensor imaging at term.

Executive Function Profiles at Home and at School in 11-Year-Old Very Low Birth Weight or Very Low Gestational Age Children.

Objective: Executive function (EF) problems of children born at very low birth weight (VLBW; ≤1500 g) or very low gestational age (VLGA; <32 gestational weeks) may present differently at school compared to the home environment. Ecological assessment of EF including parent- and teacher-rated profiles and associated risk factors of 11-year-old children born at VLBW or VLGA was evaluated.

Methods: A total of 125 VLBW or VLGA children and 132 controls were assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of EF, which includes 8 subscales that form the Behavioral Regulation and Metacognition Indexes.

Spontaneous focusing on numerosity in preschool as a predictor of mathematical skills and knowledge in the fifth grade.

Previous studies in a variety of countries have shown that there are substantial individual differences in children's spontaneous focusing on numerosity (SFON), and these differences are positively related to the development of early numerical skills in preschool and primary school. A total of 74 5-year-olds participated in a 7-year follow-up study, in which we explored whether SFON measured with very small numerosities at 5 years of age predicts mathematical skills and knowledge, math motivation, and reading in fifth grade at 11 years of age. Results show that preschool SFON is a unique predictor of arithmetic fluency and number line estimation but not of rational number knowledge, mathematical achievement, math motivation, or reading.

Factors affecting the cognitive profile of 11-year-old children born very preterm.

BackgroundPreterm birth is a risk for cognitive development. This study assessed the cognitive profile of children born very preterm at the age of 11 years as well as the associated risk factors.MethodsA total of 128 children born very preterm were included.

Working memory in very-low-birthweight children at the age of 11 years.

The aim of this study is to investigate the working memory (WM) of very-low-birthweight (VLBW, ≤ 1500 g) children at the age of 11 years using Baddeley's WM model. A regional cohort of 95 VLBW children was assessed for the domains of the WM model (central executive [CE], visuospatial sketchpad [VS], and phonological loop [PL]) using subtests from the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (WMTB-C) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). VLBW children were categorized into three groups according to their degree of brain pathology (normal, minor, or major) in neonatal brain magnetic resonance imaging at the term age, and the WM performance was compared between groups to test norms.

Stability of cognitive outcome from 2 to 5 years of age in very low birth weight children.

Objectives: This study assessed the stability of cognitive outcomes of premature, very low birth weight (VLBW; ≤1500 g) children.

Methods: A regional cohort of 120 VLBW children born between 2001 and 2004 was followed up by using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition, at 2 years of corrected age and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised at the age of 5 years. The Mental Development Index (MDI) and the full-scale IQ (FSIQ) were measured, respectively.

Parental psychological well-being and cognitive development of very low birth weight infants at 2 years.

Aim: To assess the associations between cognitive development of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and measures of parental psychological well-being.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 182 VLBW infants born 1/2001-12/2006 at the Turku University Hospital, Finland, were followed up. At 2 years corrected age, cognitive development of the child was assessed using the Mental Development Index of Bayley Scales, and both parents filled in validated questionnaires defining parental psychological well-being (Beck Depression Inventory, Parenting Stress Index and Sense of Coherence Scale).

Prereading skills of very-low-birth-weight prematurely born Finnish children.

Our objective was to study the prereading skills of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW; ≤ 1500 g) prematurely born children at the age of five years. A regional cohort of 89 VLBW children and 152 full-term (FT) born children was assessed for letter knowledge, phonological processing, and speeded naming. Full-scale IQ (FSIQ) was assessed using a short version of WPPSI-R.

Associations between regional brain volumes at term-equivalent age and development at 2 years of age in preterm children.

Background: Altered brain volumes and associations between volumes and developmental outcomes have been reported in prematurely born children.

Objectives: To assess which regional brain volumes are different in very low birth weight (VLBW) children without neurodevelopmental impairments ([NDI] cerebral palsy, hearing loss, blindness and significantly delayed cognitive performance) compared with VLBW children with NDI, and to evaluate the association between regional brain volumes at term-equivalent age and cognitive development and neurological performance at a corrected age of 2 years.

Materials And Methods: The study group consisted of a regional cohort of 164 VLBW children, divided into one group of children without NDI (n = 148) and one group of children with NDI (n = 16).

Ventricular dilatation in relation to outcome at 2 years of age in very preterm infants: a prospective Finnish cohort study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the relation between ventricular dilatation at term and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age in infants of very low birthweight (VLBW) or very low gestational age (VLGA).

Method: A total of 225 VLBW or VLGA infants (121 males, 104 female; mean birthweight 1133 g, SD 333 g; mean gestational age 29 wks, SD 2 wks 5d) born in Turku University Hospital were included. Ventricular-brain ratio and the widths of each lateral ventricular horn were determined using ultrasonography, and the volume of the ventricles was measured by magnetic resonance imaging at term.

Crying behaviour in early infancy is associated with developmental outcome at two years of age in very low birth weight infants.

Aim: To evaluate the association between infant fussing and crying and developmental outcome in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.

Methods: Hundred and seventeen VLBW infants were followed up to 24 months of corrected age. The duration of fussing and crying and frequency of fuss/cry bouts were measured at term 6 weeks and 5 months of corrected age.

Size and composition of the lexicon in prematurely born very-low-birth-weight and full-term Finnish children at two years of age.

This paper focuses on the aspects of the lexicon in 66 prematurely born very-low-birth-weight and 87 full-term Finnish children at 2;0, studied using the Finnish version of the MacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventory. The groups did not differ in vocabulary size. Furthermore, the female advantage in vocabulary size was not seen in preterm children.