Abstract

Several studies demonstrate that preterm infants are more at risk for developmental impairments compared to infants born at term, especially within the cognitive domain. The premature population can have deficits in executive functions and attention that persist into adulthood and contribute to poor academic achievement and lower income outcomes. As these skills can impact a child’s everyday academic and social life, it is essential to understand the developmental trajectory of executive functioning and attention in this population. This study’s primary goal was to measure the performance of premature school-aged children in tasks measuring attention, working memory, and executive functioning and compare them to that of children born at term and without neonatal complications. These findings will help determine if there is an increased risk of delays for the premature population and the nature of these difficulties. Eleven (n = 11) school-age children born prematurely and eleven children born at term and free of neonatal complications were assessed using standardized tools measuring memory, information processing, attention, and executive functioning. Participants were matched according to gender, age, and linguistic status (i.e., unilingual or bilingual). Results demonstrated that children born prematurely were more at risk of developing deficits involving attention and verbal memory. Implications and recommendations for health care and educational professionals are given.