Neonatal and parental predictors of executive function in very preterm children

Aim To examine neonatal and parental predictors of executive function in very preterm (gestational age ≤30 weeks) children aged 4.0–12.0 years. Methods Two‐hundred very preterm (mean age 8.2 ± 2.5 years) children without severe disabilities, born between 1996 and 2004, were assessed with measures of executive function including working memory, verbal fluency, planning and inhibitory control. Neonatal predictors were obtained from clinical records. Parental predictors included parental education, which was derived from questionnaires. Multiple linear regression analyses identified associations between neonatal and parental predictors and executive function in very preterm children. Results Better postnatal growth at 6 weeks of corrected age‐predicted better spatial span (R² = 0.03, β = 0.17, p = 0.02) and planning (R² = 0.03, β = 0.16, p = 0.04). A higher level of parental education predicted better verbal fluency (R² = 0.02, β = 0.12, p = 0.02). Verbal working memory was not predicted by neonatal risk factors or by parental education (βs 0.20). Conclusions Executive function in very preterm children is associated with early postnatal growth and level of parental education but not with neonatal complications.