Department of Nursing, Dong-A University, Korea. enfanju@dau.ac.kr
Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compared the growth and development of premature and full-term infants during the 2 years after birth.
METHOD: The participants were 102 infants, 51 each for premature infants, and for healthy full-term infants.
Participants in the premature group accounted for 17.5% of all premature infants who were registered at the public health center in G city. Developmental status was evaluated using the Korean Denver II.
RESULTS: The catch-up growth of the premature was 100% in weight and in height. Suspicious developmental delay according to the Korean Denver II was 3.9% in normal infants and 31.2% in premature infants. Factors related to the suspicious developmental delay in premature infants were their age and health state at birth. The rate of suspicious developmental delay was higher in infants over 6 months and infants unhealthy at birth.
CONCLUSION: A premature follow-up program, which includes nutrition education to achieve catch-up growth and to prevention obesity, along with continuous developmental screening test for infants and children born prematurely is recommended. Provision for home visits and telephone counseling for premature infants and their families who do not to use the public health center should also be included.
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