Follow Up & Education

This paper highlights the importance of adult clinicians asking about birth history but also understanding the implications of preterm birth and therefore being proactive by putting in place preventative care, but also promoting education for families to learn more about reducing risks through lifestyle behaviours. Click here to read the full article

“As more people born preterm question the impact being born early may have on adult health, health care providers must be ready to answer.”

Kelly, M. and Tobias, J. (2021) Recommendations to optimize life-long health and wellbeing for people born preterm. Early Human Development, 162(105458)

This paper acknowledges that medical advancements over the last several decades have supported the survival of younger and sicker newborns. These interviews aimed to explore how adults who were born preterm perceive the impact of this on their lives. Click here to read the full article

D’Agata, A., Kelly, M., Green, C., and Sullican, M. (2022) Molding influences of prematurityPreterm is defined as babies born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed. More: Interviews with adults born preterm. Early Human Development, 166(105542)

This study presents recommendations made by APIC (Adults Born Preterm International Collaboration) experts on measures to be used in follow‐up research assessments for adults born preterm. Click here to read the full article

Kajantie, E., Johnson, S., Heinonen, K. et al. (2020) Common Core Assessments in follow‐up studies of adults born preterm—Recommendation of the Adults Born Preterm International Collaboration. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 35(3).

The PRISM team have bought into focus the struggles that those born preterm have at school, particularly with mathematics where working memory, processing speed and symbolism are required. Click here to read the full text.

Clayton, S. & Johnson, S., 2017. The PRISM studies: improving children’s mathematics skills following very preterm birth– review. Infant 13(2) pg 73-76

This paper acknowledges that adults born preterm are an under-recognised and vulnerable population. Multiple studies of individuals born prematurely, including our 35-year longitudinal study, have found important health concerns that adult healthcare providers should consider in their assessments. Click here to read the full text.

D’Agata, A., Green, C. & Sullivan, M., 2022. A new patient population for adult clinicians: Preterm born adults. The Lancet Regional Health- Americas 9(100188)

This paper was co-authored by Juliette and has found that with appropriate information provision, at the right time, parents, adults born preterm and professionals are supportive of data linkage for research, including where temporary identifiers and opt-out consent are used. Resources are being co-produced to improve communication about routine data linkage. Click here to read the abstract.

Sawtell, M., Emily, v B., Bilal, T., Juniper, L., Kotsoni, J., Lee, J., Modi, N., Battersby, C., 2022. Views of parents, adults born preterm and professionals on linkage of real-world data of preterm babies. Archives of Disease in Childhood – Fetal and Neonatal Edition. 2022-324272

Dr Saigal and her colleagues have concluded from their literature review that preterm birth needs to be considered a chronic condition, with a slight increase in the risk for long-term morbiditiesA diseased condition or state. More among adults born preterm. They advise that obtaining a history of gestational age and weight at birth should be a routine part of care for patients of all age groups. Click here to read the abstract.

Saigal S., Raju, T.N.K., Buist A.S., et al, 2017. Adults born preterm: a review of general health and system-specific outcomes. Acta Paediatrica 106(9) pg1409-1437

This paper highlights that there is a risk profile for both physical and psychosocial health for adults who were born prematurely, even if some of these risks are present in low absolute numbers. They suggest that as the ability to compensate for latent deficits declines with age, such adults may suffer from “premature ageing as the late price of premature birth.” They emphasise that a holistic approach to care with personalised prevention should be continued into adulthood as for most preemies this care would have been discontinued at discharge from paediatric follow-up. Click here to read the full paper.

Singer, D., Thiede, L.P. & Perez, A., 2021. Long-Term Health Risks of Former Very Low Birth Weight Infants. Deutsches Arzteblatt International, 118(31-32), pg 521-527

Survey participants Health was perceived as a more important long-term outcome than intelligence for babies born preterm. Responses were similar between clinicians, parents, ex-preterm adults and controls. Future research should include long-term health outcomes as well as cognitive outcomes for babies born preterm. Clinicians should discuss the potential impact of perinatal interventions on both long-term health and intelligence with parents of preterm babies. Click here to read the article.

Kuo, J., Petrie, K.J. and Alsweiler, J.M. (2022), Prioritising long-term outcomes for preterm babies: A survey of consumers and clinicians. J Paediatr Child Health, 58: 1778-1785.