Functional abilities at age 4 years of children born before 29 weeks of gestation.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the rate of impairment and disability among babies born very preterm and to investigate the association between such impairment and gestational age at birth.


METHODS
Cohort study of a geographically defined population of babies.


METHODS
Oxford Regional Health Authority.


METHODS
All babies born alive before 29 weeks of gestation to mothers resident in the region during 1984-6.


METHODS
Survival rates and rates of impairment and disability among survivors at the age of 4 years.


RESULTS
Of the 342 babies, half (170) survived to be discharged home. Of the 164 survivors to age 4 years, 153 (93%) were assessed. A total of 35 (23%; 95% confidence interval 16% to 30%) were severely disabled and only 54 (35%; 28% to 43%) were unimpaired. The risk of impairment and disability increased with decreasing gestational age at birth (p < 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
With the increasing survival rate among babies born before 29 weeks of gestation, we need urgently to establish reliable ways of monitoring the proportion of survivors who have a disability.
Johnson
A
A
National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford.
Townshend
P
P
Yudkin
P
P
Bull
D
D
Wilkinson
A R
AR
D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors