Parental evaluate the health of their children and give their perspective on important health outcomes after extremely preterm infants
This study looked at how parents of premature babies feel about their children’s health and development. We asked parents of children born extremely preterm (less than 29 weeks of gestational age) to rate their child’s health and say what they would like to improve. Most parents rated their child’s health as very good (median 9 on 10), with their main concerns being about development, especially behavior, emotions, and communication skills. Some parents also worried about their child’s breathing, overall health, while others were concerned about feeding and growth. Interestingly, some parents didn’t feel there was anything to improve. Parents were more likely to say this if their child had no severe developmental issues or if the parents had a higher education. This shows that parents have positive views about their preterm children’s health, but it’s important for doctors to also consider other concerns parents may have.