Health status development in a cohort of preterm children

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.