PARENTAL PERCEPTIONS OF VERY LOW BIRTHWEIGHT SURVIVORS' (VLBW) ABILITIES AT 8–10 YEARS OF AGE

Abstract

As part of a population based study the parents of 124 VLBW [<1500g] survivors in mainstream schools, and age/sex matched classmate controls, were asked to assess their children's abilities including aspects of school performance, and objective test scores [BAS and TOMI]. There were significant difference in IQ [p=<0.001], reading [p=<0.02] and number [p=<0.002] age ratios and tomi scores [p=<0.001] between VLBW and control children with VLBW survivors performing less well throughout. The control children's parents's assessments were not significantly different to the teachers' but the VLBW children's parents significantly over-rated their children's performance in 6 of 12 areas assessed. When compared with objective measured the teachers of VLBW and control children were equally acurate in their prediction of overall school performance but the parents of the VLBW children were significantly less accurate than the teachers, or control children's parents. Interestingly however the VLBW parents had insight into their children's co-ordination but not their educational difficulties. Even at 8-10 years of age the VLBW children's parents over-estimate their children's abilities

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