Analysis of Neurocognitive Development of Moderate and Late Preterm Children in Early Childhood Using Bayley-III

Abstract

The article features an empirical study of the development of neurocognitive functions in moderate and late preterm children at the age of 3, 5, 10, 14, and 25 months. To date, this population of infants is 75–80 % of the total number of premature infants, but specialists of different profiles do not give enough attention to this group of children, which limits the amount of information regarding their neurocognitive development, in spite of the fact that prematurity at any gestation period gives the right to refer the child to a risk group of different impairments. Premature birth has a certain impact on the development of the infant’s brain, affecting the important processes of differentiation of neurons, myelination, synaptogenesis, etc. Neurocognitive functions were measured by the Bayley Scales behavioral technique, third edition (Bayley-III). The technique makes it possible to assess the cognitive development, the development of receptive and expressive communication, as well as fine and gross motor skills. The research demonstrated that moderate and late prematurity has a selective effect on the development of neurocognitive functions, and the degree of impact depends on the stage of ontogenesis and the sphere of development.

Keywords

• neurocognitive functions
• early development
• gestation
• prematurity
• cognitive development
• language development
• motor development