Functional outcomes in self-care, mobility, communication, and learning inextremely low-birth weight infants

Children born of extremely low-birth weight status have an increased risk f or major and minor neurodevelopmental impairments. This article focuses on the preschool functional outcomes of extremely low-birth weight infants usi ng the National Center of Medical Rehabilitation Research model of disablem ent. Motor, self-care, communicative, and developmental functional skills a re emphasized. By explicitly measuring functional status, we can prioritize strategies that lessen severe multiple disabilities and simultaneously sup port families when functional limitations are life long.