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Longitudinal changes in family outcomes of very low birth weight

Melisa Moore1, H Gerry Taylor, Nancy Klein

  • 1Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, USA.

Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|September 10, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Families of children with very low birth weight (VLBW) experience lasting challenges. These family burdens and parental distress are influenced by the severity of VLBW, the child's age, and the home environment.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Children with very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g) face significant developmental risks.
  • Long-term impacts of VLBW on family well-being remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term family outcomes associated with VLBW.
  • To assess the stability of these family outcomes over time.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of families with children born weighing <750 g (n=64), 750-1499 g (n=54), and term-born controls (n=66).
  • Annual assessments of family burden and parental distress from mean child ages of 11 to 14 years.

Main Results:

  • Families of children with VLBW (<750 g) reported higher family burden and parental distress compared to controls.
  • These differences were not static, varying based on the child's age and the family's environmental context.

Conclusions:

  • Very low birth weight has enduring effects on families.
  • The degree of VLBW, the child's developmental stage, and the family environment significantly moderate these long-term outcomes.
Abstract

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