In their own words: Life at adulthood after very premature birth

Abstract

Very premature infants born in the last century following the early days of post-neonatal intensive care have demonstrated an array of physical, emotional, and mental health problems as they approach their third and fourth decades. These outcomes have been well documented by several international investigators. However, there is a paucity of information on the personal perspectives of these individuals with regard to their own quality of life, their hopes and their fears. This article will focus on the objective information from the published literature and how it differs from the personal perspectives of former very premature infants.

Keywords: Adulthood; Extremely premature infants; Narrative medicine; Personal perspectives; Quality of life.