Developmental changes in the efficiency of attentional networks in very preterm children during the transition from preschool to school

This longitudinal study examined changes in the efficiency of the attentional system during the transition from preschool to school in children born very prematurely. Seventy-one Polish children participated: 34 born before 32 weeks of gestation (47.1% boys) and 37 full-term peers (48.6% boys). The Attention Network Task-Child Version was administered at ages 5 and 6. At age 5, very preterm children showed reduced efficiency in alerting and orienting compared to full-term children. By age 6, alerting efficiency improved in the preterm group, and no longer differed from the control group. However, group differences in attentional orienting persisted at the follow-up assessment at age 6. These findings suggested partial improvement in attentional functioning in very preterm children during early development, with persistent differences in attentional orienting compared to full-term peers.