Minor neurological dysfunction in preterm children and its association with school readiness

YILDIZ R., YILDIZ A., GÜCÜYENER K., SOYSAL ACAR A. Ş., ELBASAN B.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISABILITY DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION, cilt.67, sa.2, ss.125-134, 2020 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 67 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/1034912x.2019.1614154
  • Dergi Adı: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISABILITY DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, Psycinfo, Sociological abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.125-134
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Children, learning, minor neurological dysfunction, neurodevelopmental, disability, preschool, preterm, school, school readiness, BORN PRETERM, AGE, BIRTH, DIFFICULTIES, TERM
  • Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Minor neurological dysfunction (MND) has been associated with learning, cognitive, and motor problems in preterm children. This study aims to study the prevalence of MND in preterm children without cerebral palsy in the preschool period and to investigate its association with school readiness. Forty-four children born at less than 37 weeks of gestation and 35 term children at a mean age of 5 years 6 months were included in the study. MND was classified according to Touwen. School readiness was assessed with the Marmara Primary School Readiness Scale. The prevalence of MND in preterm preschoolers was higher compared to their term-peers. Linear regression analyses showed that MND was the strongest predictor of school readiness in the preterm group. Preterm children, in the absence of CP, are at risk of MND and this is associated with school readiness. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on the follow-up, and an intervention should be prepared for preterm children with MND when they are starting school.