title: An evidentiary review regarding the use of chronological and adjusted age in the assessment of preterm infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The evidence supporting the recommendation to use age adjustment when assessing the growth, motor, and global development of premature infants was explored. Following a comprehensive literature search, 16 articles that compared the use of adjusted and chronological age were reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of full age adjustment based on the degree of prematurity was supported for the assessment of premature infants for a minimum of 12 months adjusted age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of adjusted age enhances the ability to accurately recognize genuine delays as opposed to perceived delays related to a child's gestational age at birth.
authors.affiliation: Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. dagostino@email.chop.edu
authors.forename: Jo Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D007804:Language Development; D009048:Motor Skills; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D015399:Nursing Research