Neonatal Factors Contributing to the Outcome on Audiovisual Attention for Prematurely Born Children
2023 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
The rising survival rates of prematurely born children demand an increased awareness of the possible long term-effects preterm birth may have on cognitive development. Visual, auditive and cognitive impairments are associated with premature birth and the aim of this study was to identify potential neonatal factors related to the development of audiovisual attention measured at age 12. The results showed an impact on visual attention as well as split attention, requiring both visual and auditive attention, with lower scores for the children born preterm on the subtests administered by TEA-Ch. In conclusion; the risk factors present at birth, such as undeveloped lungs, visual impairments and brain damage, appears to be the actual variables affecting the children’s audiovisual attention abilities, while the complications and severity of them are attributed to how preterm the child was born. Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term impacts of the treatments used as some have longstanding effects on the children.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2023.
Keywords [en]
premature birth, fetal development, cognitive development, cognitive impairment, audiovisual attention, antenatal steroids
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-532340OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-532340DiVA, id: diva2:1872825
Educational program
Freestanding course
Supervisors
Examiners
2024-06-242024-06-182024-06-24Bibliographically approved