School-age Outcomes of Childrenborn at the Limit of Viability

Dramatic increases in the survival of extremely immature (EI, < 26 weeks` gestation) infants during the past 2 decades have created a new population of children who previously would rarely have survived. Our knowledge is poor concerning the health, daily functioning, special health care needs, and school achievement of EI children born in the 1990s. This book provides the findings from a prospective, longitudinal Swedish national investigation. We have evaluated the overall neurological, developmental (growth), functional, mental health and health care status of 10-12 year old EI children born in the 1990s. These children have significantly greater health problems and special health care needs that require ongoing services through the school years. However, it is notable that very few have severe impairments that curtail major activities of daily living. Furthermore, the findings suggest that current preterm follow-up programs might benefit from the addition of psychological and family services to traditional neurodevelopmental assessments. The overall results of this study are reassuring.