Brumbaugh Jane E, Hodel Amanda S, Thomas Kathleen M
Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa.
Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Am J Perinatol. 2014 Apr;31(4):305-14. doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1348950. Epub 2013 Jun 17.
Very preterm birth (< 32 weeks' gestation) affects cognitive development. The impact of late preterm birth (34 to 36 weeks' gestation) on cognition, specifically executive function, is not fully characterized. The aim of this study was to assess whether late preterm children demonstrate impaired executive function compared with full-term children (38 to 42 weeks' gestation).
This was a prospective cohort study of 4-year-old children. Preterm (n = 39) and full-term children (n = 44) completed a battery of executive function tasks and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool version.
Preterm children performed worse on the verbal inhibitory control (p = 0.02) and short-term verbal memory (p = 0.01) tasks. Gestational age predicted performance on the verbal inhibitory control (p = 0.02) and short-term verbal memory (p = 0.04) tasks. There was no group difference in nonverbal inhibitory control (p = 0.45) or spatial memory (p = 0.60). Parents of preterm and full-term children rated their children's behavior similarly (p = 0.79).
Late preterm children demonstrated compromised verbal inhibitory control and short-term verbal memory compared with full-term peers. Late preterm children may not be spared from altered brain development. Further research is indicated to determine whether to screen late preterm children for executive function deficits.
极早产（妊娠<32周）会影响认知发展。晚期早产（妊娠34至36周）对认知，特别是执行功能的影响尚未完全明确。本研究的目的是评估晚期早产儿童与足月儿童（妊娠38至42周）相比是否存在执行功能受损。
这是一项针对4岁儿童的前瞻性队列研究。早产儿童（n = 39）和足月儿童（n = 44）完成了一系列执行功能任务和皮博迪图片词汇测试-4。父母完成了执行功能行为评定量表-学前版。
早产儿童在言语抑制控制（p = 0.02）和短期言语记忆（p = 0.01）任务上表现较差。孕周可预测言语抑制控制（p = 0.02）和短期言语记忆（p = 0.04）任务的表现。在非言语抑制控制（p = 0.45）或空间记忆（p = 0.60）方面没有组间差异。早产和足月儿童的父母对其孩子行为的评价相似（p = 0.79）。
与足月同龄人相比，晚期早产儿童的言语抑制控制和短期言语记忆受损。晚期早产儿童可能无法避免大脑发育改变。需要进一步研究以确定是否对晚期早产儿童进行执行功能缺陷筛查。
