Evaluation of Neurological Status and School Readiness in Preterm Preschoolers

Evaluation of Neurological Status and School Readiness of Preterm Children in Preschool Period

Beginning school is an important milestone for children. Children's readiness for school involves cognitive, physical, and emotional development. While the majority of children born preterm are able to transition from preschool to kindergarten with little difficulty, some children experience challenges during this time. Factors that negatively influence children's success in kindergarten include their age, socioeconomic status, neurological status and their ability to interpret sensory information from their environment.

This study was planned to explain the relationship between the primary school readiness and the neurological status of preterm born children.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: School Readiness

Detailed Description

A convenience of preterm and term preschoolers recruiting from Gazi University, Faculty of Health Science, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. Each group contains 30 children. First, sociodemographic information and histories of children are obtaining. Ages and contact information of the parents are recording. Prenatal and natal risk factors of the mothers are querying. Gestational ages and height, weight, and head circumferences of babies at birth are recording. Number of pregnancies, live births and abortions, type of delivery, multiple pregnancies for mothers as well as consanguinity between parents are asking. Marmara Primary School Readiness Scale is using to evaluate mental-language development, socio-emotional development, physical development, self-care skills,math skills, science skills, voice exercises, line exercises and labyrinths. Sensory profile caregiver questionnaire screen for the senses (sensory processing), adjustment (modulation), behavioral and emotional responses. The Touwen examination (neurological examination) is using to evaluate posture in various positions, muscle tone, dyskinesias, range of motion, reflexes, sensory function and cranial nerve function as well as developmental items, i.e. the items dealing with coordination, fine manipulative abilities and associated movements. All examination wiil be finished in the same day.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 60

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 5 years to 6 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Preterm children and their age -matched term volunteers

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• No neurological diagnosis
• gestational age < 37 weeks
• 60-78 months of age

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a neurological diagnosis (such as cerebral palsy)
• Grade III or grade IV intraventricular hemorrhage
• Have undergone major surgery in neonatal period
• Mental retardation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Preterm Preschoolers; Preterm children who haven't attend school.
Term Preschoolers; Term children who haven't attend school.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Marmara Primary School Readiness Scale	The application form includes math skills, science skills, voice exercises, line exercises and labyrinths; Development form; Mental-language development, socio-emotional development, physical development, self-care skills.	45 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sensory profile caregiver questionnaire	The profile reveals the child's sensory appearance in terms of sensory search, emotional response formation, low endurance, oral tenderness, distractibility, weak perception, sensory sensitivity, activity level and fine motor / perceptual differences. In addition, the child evaluates the senses (sensory processing), adjustment (modulation), behavioral and emotional responses.	45 minutes
The Touwen examination (neurological examination)	The assesment includes traditional neurological items, such as the evaluation of posture in various positions, muscle tone, dyskinesias, range of motion, reflexes, sensory function and cranial nerve function as well as developmental items, i.e. the items dealing with coordination, fine manipulative abilities and associated movements.	45 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Gazi University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 17, 2016
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): July 17, 2017
• Study Completion (Anticipated): July 17, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 10, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 10, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): March 16, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 25, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 21, 2017
• Last Verified: March 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: preterm; neurological status; School Readiness
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pregnancy Complications; Obstetric Labor Complications; Obstetric Labor, Premature; Premature Birth
• Other Study ID Numbers: E.5461

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Haven't decided yet.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No