Health-related quality of life in two birth cohorts of extremely preterm born adults

Aim: Investigate potential long-term cohort influences on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults born extremely preterm (EP) during the 1980-90s, in view of advancements in neonatal care within that timeframe.

Methods: Two cohorts of EP-born adults (82-85 cohort and 91-92 cohort) enrolling matched term controls, were compared. Participants were assessed at 18 years and again in their mid-twenties using the Child Health Questionnaire Children Form-87 (CHQ-CF87) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

Results: At 18 years, 77 (90%) EP-born and 75 (93%) term controls had data, followed by 67 (78%) EP-born and 66 (82%) term controls in their mid-twenties. At 18 years, there were no differences across the birth decades, and EP-born and term-born reported relatively similar HRQoL scores. In the mid-twenties, birth decade did also not significantly impact HRQoL scores, although the EP-born 82-85 cohort scored numerically poorer than the 91-92 cohort in three domains. Term controls scored similarly across birth decade in all domains. Regarding influence from neonatal factors, postnatal corticosteroids had a negative impact in some domains.

Conclusion: No significant differences in HRQoL were observed between EP-born adults from the 82-85 cohort versus the 91-92 cohort, although the EP-born 82-85 cohort tended to score poorer in their mid-twenties.