PRETERM LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS - HEALTH AND FAMILY OUTCOMES

Having a preterm low-birthweight infant influences a family's finances, social isolation, distress, and mastery (the four dimensions of the Impact on Family Scale). This longitudinal study examined health (acute care visits, rehospitalizations, immunizations, well-child visits, and developmental outcomes) and family (Impact on Family Scale) outcomes of 224 preterm low-birthweight infants for the first six months following infant hospital discharge. The impact on the family of having a preterm low-birthweight infant decreased over time. Families whose infants were rehospitalized reported that having a preterm low-birthweight infant had a greater impact on their family than did families whose infants were not rehospitalized. Families whose infants had more well-child visits also reported that having a preterm low-birthweight infant had more impact on their families than did families who took their infants for fewer well-child visits. Infant health outcomes were reflective of other published norms; however, there was a high number of infants who were not adequately immunized.