BEHAVIORAL AND FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT SURVIVORS OF BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA AT 10 TO 12 YEARS OF AGE

We compared behavioral problems, social competence, and family functio ning of 10- to 12 year-old children born prematurely with bronchopulmo nary dysplasia (BPD) to a group of premature children without BPD and to a group of full-term controls. In addition, the relative power of f amily, medical, and neurological characteristics in predicting cogniti ve and behavioral outcomes was examined. Neurologic status and socioec onomic status most strongly predicted cognitive outcome, whereas a com bination of family and medical factors were the strongest predictors o f behavioral functioning. Selected family and medical factors accounte d for approximately 50% of the variance in children's behavioral chara cteristics. The findings support the concept that the psychosocial adj ustment of low birthweight children with BPD is a function of the inte raction of both medical risk and family characteristics.