Table 3.
Comparison of Extremely Preterm and Normal Birth Weight Groups on Rates of Learning Problems, Individual Education Plans, and Classroom Accommodations
| Outcome | EP Group No. (%) |
NBW Group No. (%) |
Adjusted OR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deficit in written language: | |||
| Letter/Word Identification <85 | 15/146 (10) | 4/111 (4) | 2.84 (0.90, 9.01) |
| Spelling <85 | 48/145 (33) | 10/111 (9) | 5.43 (2.49, 11.86)* |
| 0 or 1 teacher ratings of progress in written language: | |||
| Identifies letter names | 32/110 (29) | 5/106 (5) | 8.21 (3.01, 22.41)**ab |
| Identifies letter sounds | 43/110 (39) | 15/106 (14) | 3.88 (1.95, 7.70) **b |
| Identifies number of sounds in short words | 58/110 (53) | 25/106 (24) | 3.65 (1.98, 6.73)**ab |
| Answers questions about what has been read out loud to child | 45/109 (41) | 14/106 (13) | 4.73 (2.33, 9.59)**ab |
| Applies letter-sound correspond-dences to spell words | 62/110 (56) | 22/106 (21) | 5.12 (2.73, 9.60)**ab |
| Any 0 or 1 teacher rating | 69/110 (63) | 31/106 (29) | 4.23 (2.32, 7.73)**ab |
| Deficit in mathematics: | |||
| Calculation <85 | 20/85 (24) | 9/89 (10) | 2.68 (1.12, 6.45) |
| Applied Problems <85 | 50/144 (35) | 12/111 (11) | 4.67 (2.24, 9.73)** |
| 0 or 1 teacher rating of progress in mathematics: | |||
| Names numeral 1–10 | 26/110 (24) | 4/105 (4) | 7.97 (2.63, 24.11)**ab |
| Counts objects 1–10 with 1-1 correspondence | 26/110 (24) | 3/106 (3) | 10.29 (3.00, 35.31)** |
| Matches numerals with set of objects 1–10 | 31/110 (28) | 5/106 (5) | 7.76 (2.86, 21.08)**ab |
| Any 0 or 1 teacher rating | 33/110 (30) | 6/106 (6) | 7.08 (2.79, 17.95)**ab |
| Individual education plan (IEP)c | 61/147 (41) | 12/111 (11) | 4.53 (2.16, 9.47)**a |
| Classroom accommodationd | 64/109 (59) | 31/107 (29) | 3.53 (1.95, 6.37)**a |
Abbreviations: EP: extremely preterm; NBW: term-born normal birth weight; OR (95% CI) = odds ratio (95% confidence interval) as obtained from logistic regression. ORs are adjusted for socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and sex and reflect an increase in the likelihood of deficit in EP children vs. NBW controls.
Note: Achievement tests are from the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement, 3rd Edition.49 <85 signifies standard scores more than 1 standard deviation below kindergarten standards and takes into account time of year when testing occurred.
Significant when excluding children with neurosensory disorders and/or a Brief Intelligence Assessment (BIA) <85.
Significant when excluding children with IEPs.
IEP classifications included Specific Learning Disability (23 EP, 4 NBW), Speech or Language Impairment (19 EP, 6 NBW), Other Health Impaired (3 EP), Multiple Disabilities (5 EP), Preschooler with Disability (3 EP), Autism (1 EP), Mental Retardation (1 EP), Orthopedic Impairment (2 EP), Hearing Impairment (1 EP), Visual Impairment (1 EP), Emotional Disturbance (1 NBW), and Related Services (1 NBW). The classification for two EP children could not be determined, one because of inadequate information and a second because of placement in a private school for children with special needs.
The EP group also had significantly higher rates of each type of accommodation, including reduced assignments, alternative ways of testing, individual assistance from an adult besides the teacher, different grading criteria, individual teaching or modified instructions, and classroom modifications such as special seating.
Bonferroni-adjusted p<.01.