Academic Achievement Deficits and Their Neuropsychological Correlates in Children Born Extremely Preterm.

There was no demographically matched term-born control group, so the study cannot precisely estimate how much higher learning disability rates are than expected. The children were assessed at one age, 10 years, in a single testing session, so this does not show how academic difficulties developed over time. The analysis excluded children with severe motor impairment or functional blindness who could not complete valid testing, so it does not describe those children. The main analysis was limited to 668 children with verbal and nonverbal IQ scores above 70, so it does not apply to children with intellectual impairment. The learning disability groups were small, and the authors caution that profile differences between reading-only and math-only groups may reflect small group sizes rather than clear separate profiles. Maternal education was related to achievement and used as a proxy for socioeconomic status, so some differences may reflect social disadvantage rather than preterm birth alone. Information on delayed school entry was not collected, so the reason for being behind grade placement is not fully known.

Do not conclude that preterm birth caused these learning disabilities or that these cognitive profiles are proven intervention targets. The study had no term-born control group, used one assessment at age 10, and adjusted for maternal education, so it shows associations rather than a direct cause.