title: Assessing independency in daily activities in very preterm children at preschool age.
abstract: This study investigates whether very low birth weight (VLBW) preschoolers experience disability in daily activities and what the risk factors for disability in daily activities are. The Dutch Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-NL) was used to detect disability in daily activities in 143 VLBW children without cerebral palsy (CP) at 44 months of corrected age (CA). Data from the psychomotor-developmental index (PDI) and the mental developmental index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID II) at 24 months CA, and data relating to perinatal and socio-economic status were available. Disability in daily activities was found in 27 (19%) VLBW children without CP. High frequencies of disability were found in 19 (13%) children on the mobility domain and in 12 (8%) children on the social functioning domain. The multiple logistic regression analyses showed that low BSID II outcomes (<2 SD) were risk factors for disability in the mobility domain, but not for disability in the social functioning domain. The predictive value of the BSID II outcomes is moderate, 46% of the VLBW children with a low PDI and 44% with a low MDI developed a disability in the mobility domain. This study showed a higher frequency of disability in daily activities in VLBW preschoolers compared to term born peers. Therefore, it is suggested to assess VLBW children's performance of daily activities before they start school.
authors: Department of Rehabilitation, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. g.j.verkerk@amc.uva.nl
authors: Gijs
authors: G
authors: Verkerk
authors: Martine
authors: M
authors: Jeukens-Visser
authors: Aleid
authors: A
authors: van Wassenaer-Leemhuis
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Koldewijn
authors: Joke
authors: J
authors: Kok
authors: Frans
authors: F
authors: Nollet
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D016015:Logistic Models; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000378:metabolism