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INTRODUCTION: Neuro-motor impairments are commonly described in children born very preterm. Our purpose was to examine whether children born preterm differ concerning choice and amount of sport activities, laterality, and cognitive functioning in comparison to term born.

METHOD: A sample of 130 children, investigated at early school-age (mean = 7.8y); categorized into three groups based on gestational age (GA); 66 children term born (FT; GA 39 – 42w), 33 moderately preterm (M-PT; GA 34 – 36w), and 31 very preterm (V-PT; GA 23 – 33w). Sport activities were perceived from parents’ ratings; Activities scale/Child behavior checklist, Laterality Index (LI); by a modified Edinburgh Handedness inventory, and cognitive functioning by WISC-IV.

RESULTS: Children born M-PT performed comparable to FT, as regards to sport activities and cognitive performance. Children born V-PT had significantly poorer full scale IQ, lower sport performance, fewer sport activities, and participated in more individual sport activities in comparison to FT and M-PT. V-PT children were also less lateralized in comparison to FT and M-PT born.  Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between LI and number of sport activities for the V-PT children, not found for the FT or M-PT.

CONCLUSUON: A very preterm birth seems to generate long-term effects on amount and choice of sport activities, side preference and cognitive functioning. Thus, more focus should be paid to children born very preterm to identify deviations in their early sport engagement and activities; consequently, to motivate and provide improvements in their sport activities, physical performance, and cognitive functioning.