"Premature" Children at Primary Schools

Abstract

A controlled study of a representative group of 706 legitimate single-born premature infants was conducted and the progress of premature children attending normal primary schools is described. Information was lacking on the home conditions of 31 of these children but each of the remaining 675 was matched with a child (the control) who was born during the Maternity Survey of 1946 (Great Britain) survey week (the 1st week of March 1946). The tests used for this inquiry were designed by the National Foundation for Educational Research in England and Wales. 4 tests were given the children at age 8 and another 4 at age 11 years 3 months. The preliminary findings were that premature children: 1) made consistently lower scores than their matched controls in 8 tests of mental ability and school achievement; 2) were the subject of more adverse comment than their controls by their teachers regarding their attitude towards work ability to concentrate and discipline in class; and 3) were less than 1/2 as likely as their controls to gain grammarschool places in the 11+ examination. The differences are basically explained by the fact that premature birth is associated at each social level with low standards of maternal care and lack of educational interest as well as with poor living conditions.