Learning difficulties of very preterm children become evident at school
Although the intensive care of very preterm children has improved and their survival prospects have increased, they remain at elevated risk for language and literacy-related challenges. These findings emerge from the doctoral dissertation in logopedics by M.A. Minna Heikkinen, to be examined at the University of Oulu on 26 September.
Heikkinen studied very preterm children when they had reached nine years of age. A child is considered very preterm if born before the 32nd week of pregnancy.
The study found that, on average, very preterm children had weaker skills in language comprehension, communication, technical reading, reading comprehension, and spelling.
In addition, some conditions related to prematurity were linked to specific difficulties: intrauterine growth restriction was associated with weaker rapid naming, reading fluency, and spelling skills; intraventricular hemorrhage with weaker technical reading; respiratory distress syndrome with weaker rapid naming; and sepsis with weaker communication skills.
A low maternal level of education increased the children’s risk of weaker language comprehension skills.
According to Minna Heikkinen, the assessment and rehabilitation practices for very preterm children still need improvement.
“In Finland, speech therapy and other rehabilitation often end by school age, but identifying potential challenges also during school years is important so that children can be provided with timely support and rehabilitation,” Heikkinen says.
The study included 76 very preterm and 51 full-term nine-year-old children. Their language comprehension, communication, and reading and writing skills were assessed through tests and parent questionnaires. Statistical methods were used to examine the relationship between background factors and skills.
The research provides new knowledge on the long-term effects of very preterm birth on language, communication, and literacy skills in school-aged children.
Master of Arts Minna Heikkinen will defend her doctoral dissertation at the University of Oulu on Friday, 26 September 2025.
The dissertation, belonging to the field of logopedics, is titled Language, communication and literacy skills of nine-year-old children born very preterm. The opponent will be Docent Satu Saalasti from the University of Eastern Finland, and the custos Professor Taina Välimaa. The public defence will take place at 12 noon in lecture hall L5 at the University of Oulu, Linnanmaa, and can also be followed remotely at https://oulu.zoom.us/j/66199733718