TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations between Apgar scores and children’s educational outcomes at eight years of age
AU - Yisma, Engida
AU - Mol, Ben W.
AU - Lynch, John W.
AU - Mittinty, Murthy N.
AU - Smithers, Lisa G.
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - Background: Low Apgar scores are associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality, but effects of Apgar scores of 0–5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (compared with 10) on longer-term neurodevelopmental outcomes are less clear. Aim: To examine the associations between Apgar scores of 0–5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (compared with 10) and children’s educational outcomes as measured by the Australian National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests at age eight. Materials and Methods: We merged perinatal data including all children born in South Australia from 1999 to 2008 with school assessment data (NAPLAN). School assessments included five learning areas (domains)—reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. Each domain was categorised according to performing at or below National Minimum Standards (≤NMS). Effects were estimated using Augmented Inverse Probability Weighting (AIPW) accounting for a range of maternal, perinatal and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Risk differences comparing five-minute Apgar scores of 0–5 with Apgar scores of 10 for children performing ≤NMS for each domain were: reading (0.07 (95% CI −0.16 to 0.29)), writing (0.27 (95% CI −0.14 to 0.68)), spelling (0.15 (95% CI −0.10 to 0.40)), grammar (0.04 (95% CI −0.21 to 0.29)) and numeracy (0.21 (95% CI −0.04 to 0.45)). Risk differences for children performing ≤NMS were also evident when Apgar score of 6 was compared with Apgar score of 10. Conclusions: Children with five-minute Apgar scores of 0–5 and 6, compared with Apgar score of 10, are at higher risk of scoring at/below the NMS on the NAPLAN assessments at eight years.
AB - Background: Low Apgar scores are associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality, but effects of Apgar scores of 0–5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (compared with 10) on longer-term neurodevelopmental outcomes are less clear. Aim: To examine the associations between Apgar scores of 0–5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (compared with 10) and children’s educational outcomes as measured by the Australian National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests at age eight. Materials and Methods: We merged perinatal data including all children born in South Australia from 1999 to 2008 with school assessment data (NAPLAN). School assessments included five learning areas (domains)—reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. Each domain was categorised according to performing at or below National Minimum Standards (≤NMS). Effects were estimated using Augmented Inverse Probability Weighting (AIPW) accounting for a range of maternal, perinatal and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Risk differences comparing five-minute Apgar scores of 0–5 with Apgar scores of 10 for children performing ≤NMS for each domain were: reading (0.07 (95% CI −0.16 to 0.29)), writing (0.27 (95% CI −0.14 to 0.68)), spelling (0.15 (95% CI −0.10 to 0.40)), grammar (0.04 (95% CI −0.21 to 0.29)) and numeracy (0.21 (95% CI −0.04 to 0.45)). Risk differences for children performing ≤NMS were also evident when Apgar score of 6 was compared with Apgar score of 10. Conclusions: Children with five-minute Apgar scores of 0–5 and 6, compared with Apgar score of 10, are at higher risk of scoring at/below the NMS on the NAPLAN assessments at eight years.
KW - Apgar score
KW - cognition
KW - epidemiology
KW - school assessment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089655005&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajo.13220
U2 - 10.1111/ajo.13220
DO - 10.1111/ajo.13220
M3 - Article
C2 - 32830313
AN - SCOPUS:85089655005
SN - 0004-8666
VL - 61
SP - 35
EP - 41
JO - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
JF - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
IS - 1
ER -
