Archives of disease in childhood
-
Children born very preterm (VP; <32 weeks) are at risk for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). ADHD in VP children have a different clinical presentation to ADHD in the general population, and therefore VP children with difficulties may not come to the teacher's attention in school. We have assessed ADHD symptoms to determine whether VP children's difficulties may go undetected in the classroom. ⋯ VP children are at greater risk for symptoms of inattention than hyperactivity/impulsivity. Inattention was significantly increased among VP children without identified SEN suggesting that these problems may be difficult to detect in school. Raising teachers' awareness of inattention problems may be advantageous in enabling them to identify VP children who may benefit from intervention.