Social perception in children born at very low birthweight and its relationship with social/behavioral outcomes

Background Research has shown that children born very prematurely are at substantially elevated risk for social and behavioral difficulties similar to those seen in full-term children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Methods To gain insight into core deficits that may underlie these difficulties, in this study, we assessed the social perceptual skills of 8- to 11-year-old children born at very low birthweight (VLBW) (<1,500 g) and age-matched, full-term controls, using the Child and Adolescent Social Perception Measure. We also assessed social and behavioral outcomes with two parent-report measures used in ASD screening. Results Children in the preterm group had normal range estimated verbal IQ. However, we found that they were impaired in their ability to use nonverbal cues from moving faces and bodies, and situational cues, to correctly identify the emotions of characters depicted in videotaped social interactions. Their performance on this task was related to the number of ‘autistic-like’ traits they displayed. Conclusions This research highlights links between social perceptual deficits and poor social and behavioral outcomes in children born very prematurely. The results also suggest that even those who have escaped major intellectual/language problems are at risk for social and behavioral problems that can be of clinical concern.