QUALITY OF LIFE OF CHILDREN BORN VERY PRETERM AT SCHOOL-AGE

AIMS The aims were 1) to describe the quality of life (QoL) of a cohort of children born very preterm (<28 weeks of gestation) aged 7 to 9 years; 2) to compare children's QoL to the QoL reported by a French general population of reference. 3) to determine whether socio-demographic factors, neonatal features and neurocognitive status were impacting their QoL.

METHODS:

* Multi-centre study: 6 French level three perinatal care units (Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nîmes, Nice and Rouen). * Inclusion criteria: all infants born before 28 weeks of gestation between January 2005 and December 2007, from 7 to 9 years old of age at the time of evaluation. * Written agreement to participate: collected from parents. * Data collection: reports of children's QoL by children and their parents (using standardized validated questionnaires); clinical information about the children, obtained through a medical examination; children neurocognitive profile. * Duration of inclusion: over 24 months. * Population: of the six structures, approximately 300 children will be evaluated consistent with the active files of the participating centres and an attrition rate of 30%.

PERSPECTIVES This is one of the first studies to collect self-reported data on quality of life of school-age children (7-9 years) born before 28 weeks of gestation. A better understanding of demographic and clinical determinants of QOL of school-age very preterm children may help clinicians involved in the care of these children in their ethical and medical considerations.