May 17, 2005

Outcomes of Prematurity

May 17, 2005/ Julian Davies, MD

Many international adoptees were born preterm. Premature birth is a risk factor for a number of medical and developmental outcomes, including significant disabilities like mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and profound vision or hearing loss. More subtle, but often functionally significant outcomes like early developmental delays, attentional problems, sensory integration/behavioral regulation issues, and school difficulties are also seen. The degree of prematurity, birthweight, and severity of early newborn complications all impact the risk for these outcomes.

Prematurity Resources:

Outcomes of Prematurity (1.8 MB - big download) - a textbook chapter that nicely reviews the developmental outcomes of prematurity, with good statistics and tables
Developmental Outcomes of Premature, Low Birth Weight, and Medically Fragile Infants - a good review article from Medscape (free registration required)
Prematurity.org - Preemie Parent Information and Support

Center for Adoption Medicine

Our center has 3 pediatricians that specialize in adoption medicine: Julia Bledsoe, MD, Julian Davies, MD, and Cynthia Kertesz, MD. We have over a decade of experience in international adoption and foster care.

CENTER FOR ADOPTION MEDICINE

Our center has two pediatricians that specialize in adoption medicine: Julia Bledsoe, MD and Julian Davies, MD.

We perform pre-adoption consultations by telephone for families adopting from abroad or domestically. We also provide post-placement evaluations and ongoing pediatric care at our Seattle clinic.