Classroom performance and social factors of children with birth weights of 1,250 grams or less: follow-up at 5 to 8 years of age.

Of 43 long-term survivors with birth weights of 1,250 g or less, 33 were compared with peers and school-aged siblings for educational levels and needs. Of the 33 children in school, three (9.1%) were in classes for children with major handicaps, whereas 30 (90.9%) were found to be comparable to their classmates by teachers and/or test scores, but 14 (47%) were receiving remedial instruction to perform at grade level. Of 13 children with school-aged siblings, three required more hours of assistance by specialized teaching staff than their siblings. The group without the need for specialized teaching staff had older mothers and tended to reside in higher socioeconomic households. Overall, our children with birth weights of 1,250 g or less (51.5%) required more special education efforts than the general school population (24.1%), thereby enabling most to compare favorably with their peers.