English publication
Theunissen,
N.C.M., den-Ouden, A.L., Meulman, J.J., Koopman, H.M., Verloove-Vanhorick,
S.P., & Wit, J.M. (2000). Health status development in a cohort
of preterm children. Journal of Pediatrics, 137(4), 534-539.
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Abstract
Objective: The complications that accompany a preterm birth can have long-term effects. The HS at the age of 5 and 10 years in a cohort of children born preterm is studied to determine the impact of preterm birth on HS development. Sample: 688 children, born in 1983 with a gestational age of less than 32 weeks and a birth weight of less than 1500 grams.Design: Prospectively collected HS variables, obtained from the parents, were analyzed in a longitudinal perspective, using principal component analyses. Results: One third of the sample had minor to severe HS problems at both ages of measurement. One third had problems on one assessment only. The remainder of the sample had no HS problems at either age. The analyses grouped the HS variables into three combinations. Problems in Basic Functioning, such as mobility or speech, decreased with age. Negative Moods substantially increased, and Concentration Problems increased slightly. Specifically at risk were preterm born children with handicaps, boys, and SGA children. Conclusion: According to the parents, one third of the cohort had no HS problems at either age. The pattern of HS problems of the preterm born children changed between 5 and 10 years of age.