Objective: To determine the impact of preterm birth on health status (I IS)
development at the ages of 5 and 10 years in a cohort of children born bef
ore term.
Sample: Six hundred eighty-eight children, born in 1983 with a gestational
age of <32 weeks and a birth weight of <1500 g.
Design: Prospectively collected HS variables, obtained fi om the parents, w
ere analyzed in a longitudinal perspective by using principal component ana
lyses.
Results: One third of the sample had minor to severe IIS problems at both a
ges of measurement. One third had problems on one assessment only. The rema
inder of the sample had no HS problems at either age. The analyses grouped
the I-IS variables into 3 combinations. Problems in basic functioning, such
as mobility or speech, decreased with age. Negative moods substantially in
creased, and concentration problems increased slightly. Specifically at ris
k were preterm born children with handicaps, boys, and children who were sm
all for gestational age.
Conclusion: According to thr parents, one third of the cohort had no HS pro
blems at either age. The pattern of IIS problems of the preterm born childr
en changed between 5 and 10 years of age.