Impact of Very Low Birth Weight on IQ and School Performance

Very low birth weight affected some neurocognitive abilities and need for remedial education, but not grade average or level of educational attainment in a case-control study.

In this case-control study, the authors examined the effects of very low birth weight (VLBW), prematurity, and intrauterine growth restriction on IQ, neurocognitive abilities, and history of school performance in young adults. The 103 VLBW patients weighed <1500 g at birth, had a mean gestational age of 29.3 weeks, and were treated in a single university hospital neonatal intensive care unit in Finland between 1978 and 1985. Sixty-six had a birth weight appropriate for their gestational age (AGA); 37 were small for gestational age (SGA) — a marker for intrauterine growth restriction. Individuals with neurosensory impairments (cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, or blindness) were excluded. The 105 control participants were born at t…

Reviewing Author

Amy Gelfand, MD