Health care of preterm infants in the first year of life.
The home environment of preterm infants and their use of health services after discharge from hospital were investigated. Of the mothers of preterm infants studied 49% were not educated beyond primary school level, 38% were unmarried and 20% of these families had marked social problems, and 56% lived in grossly overcrowded conditions. Only the extent of unmarried motherhood and marked social problems were greater in preterm infants than in a control group of term infants. Attendance at primary care services for illness was no different for the preterm and term groups, although hospital admissions were most frequent in the preterm infants. Three preterm infants died in the first year. Only 65% of preterm infants and 55% of controls had completed weight charts on their preschool record card at 12 months of age. Three preterm and 2 control infants had not been fully immunized. In spite of poor social circumstances, the use of health services by the mothers of preterm infants was most encouraging.
Westcott
D L
DL
Woods
D L
DL
Malan
A F
AF
Heese
H D
HD
D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007086:Illegitimacy; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D009035:Mothers; D010290:Parents; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa