Neonatal intensive care and late preterm infants: health and family functioning at three years.
BACKGROUND
Late preterm infants (LPIs), born at 34+0 to 36+6 weeks of gestation contribute a significant proportion of all neonatal intensive care (NIC) admissions and are regarded as being at risk of adverse outcomes compared to term-born infants.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the health outcomes and family functioning of LPIs who required neonatal intensive care, at three years of age.


METHODS
This cohort study included 225 children born late preterm, between 1 January and 31 December 2006 in Northern Ireland. Children admitted for NIC (study group, n=103) were compared with children who did not require NIC or who required special care only for up to three days (comparison group, n=122).


METHODS
Health outcomes were measured using the Health Status Questionnaire, health service usage by parent report and family functioning using the PedsQL™ Family Impact Module.


RESULTS
LPIs who required NIC revealed similar health outcomes at three years in comparison to those who did not. Despite this, more parents of LPIs who required NIC reported visiting their GP and medical specialists during their child's third year of life. Differences in family functioning were also observed with mothers of LPIs who required NIC reporting, significantly lower levels of social and physical functioning, increased difficulties with communication and increased levels of worry.


CONCLUSIONS
LPIs were observed to have similar health outcomes at three years of age regardless of NIC requirement. The increase in GP and medical specialist visits and family functioning difficulties observed among those infants who required NIC merits further investigation.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom.
Jennifer E
JE
McGowan
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom. Electronic address: F.A.Alderdice@qub.ac.uk.
Fiona A
FA
Alderdice
Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom.
Jackie
J
Boylan
Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom.
Valerie A
VA
Holmes
School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom.
John
J
Jenkins
NICORE Project, Royal Jubilee Maternity Service, Belfast, United Kingdom.
Stanley
S
Craig
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom.
Oliver
O
Perra
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom.
Linda
L
Johnston
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000523:psychology; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report
Early childhood; Follow-up; Health service usage; Health status; Impact on family; Late preterm infants; Neonatal admission