Emerging executive skills in very preterm children at 2 years corrected age : a composite assessment

Executive Function (EF) deficits have previously been identified in preterm children. However, only recently have emerging executive functions been studied in preschool children who were born preterm without major brain damage. Our study provides a broad assessment of EFs in 72 extremely preterm births (gestational age < 34 weeks and birth weight < 2500 g) and 73 full-term children, born between 2006 and 2008, at 24 months of corrected age. Three factors were extracted from the EF administered measures: working memory, cognitive flexibility, and impulsivity control. Only cognitive flexibility was found to discriminate preterm children from controls.