Perceptual-motor difficulties and their concomitants in six-year-old children born prematurely

The aims of this follow-up study were: (1) to compare prematurely born and reference children on tests of perceptual-motor competence, neurological functioning, intelligence, reading and behavioural adjustment, (2) to determine whether perceptual-motor problems among children born prematurely ever occur in isolation, (3) to examine the relationship between the extent of perceptual-motor difficulties and contemporaneous problems in other domains of development and, (4) to examine the relationship between the extent of perceptual-motor difficulties and selected neonatal variables. From a total of 219 eligible preterm babies, 156 children met the inclusion/exclusion criteria applicable to this study. On assessments conducted at six years of age, significant differences between premature and reference children were found on all measures. Seventy five children (48%) had perceptual-motor problems. In 15 of these, (10%) no other problems were evident. Children with extensive perceptual-motor problems were more likely to show co-occurring minor neurological signs and problems of cognition, reading and/or behaviour. In addition, these children had been of shorter gestation and had more frequently shown a brain lesion shortly after birth. PsycINFO classification: 3250; 3297