Use of healthcare resources, family function, and socioeconomic support during the first four years after preterm birth

Health service utilisation of a regional cohort of very preterm infants over the first 2 years of life

“…The high rates of hospital admission documented in this study were similar to previously reported figures ranging from 30% to 50%. 5,8,9,20 This high rate of readmission suggests that the ongoing improvements in neonatal care, although decreasing morbidity and possibly severe long-term morbidity, 11,12,21 have not reduced the more temporal morbidities, which remain a very real entity. In fact Xu et al suggest that there is an ongoing higher risk of rehospitalisation for low birthweight children during the first 14 years of life.…”

“…In fact Xu et al suggest that there is an ongoing higher risk of rehospitalisation for low birthweight children during the first 14 years of life. 16 Both Leijon et al 20 and van Zeben-van der Aa et al 8 also note a high use of health services other than hospital admission in their studies. This is in agreement with our study, which comprised a different geographical community.…”

Discharge and beyond. A longitudinal study comparing stress and coping in parents of preterm infants

“…In order to support parents not only in the acute hospital phase following the birth of a preterm infant, but as they return to their home and community, nurses and other health professionals need to be able to plan discharge effectively. Previous studies have suggested that there is no "one-size-fits all" followup for families after the birth of a preterm infant and that targeting needs to be more specific in order that parents are connected with services that are most likely to benefit them, and thus also increase resource efficiency (Avon Preterm Infant Project, 1998;Johnson et al, 2005;Leijon et al, 2003).…”

Missed Opportunities in the Referral of High-Risk Infants to Early Intervention

“…More than 30% of infants in the highconcern group had birth weights .2500 g. Previous studies report high rates of service use and unmet needs after NICU hospitalization; however, these studies used small sample sizes or focused on children born ,32 weeks' gestational age or with birth weights ,1500 g. [21][22][23][24] Further analysis of the data will look closely at how the .2500-g birth weight group uses services differently than their lower birth weight counterparts.…”