3. IQ and processing speed
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IQ
IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, is thought of as a measure of general cognitive skills that is not specific to a particular subject. Research studies have shown that children born preterm are likely to have lower general cognitive skills than their term-born peers. The more preterm a child is born, the greater the risk they will have general cognitive difficulties.
Processing speed
Processing speed is the time it takes to perform mental tasks. It is often measured by timing how quickly children are able to complete simple tasks like reading a list of numbers or letters or pressing a button on a computer. Children born preterm are more likely to have slower processing speed than children born at term. This may mean they take longer to read and comprehend instructions, or to complete a task they are working on.