Forever premature: Adults born preterm and their life challenges

IF 2.2 3区医学 Q2 OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Early human development Pub Date : 2025-03-12 DOI:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106248

Gaby Stegmann-Woessner , Peter Bartmann , Barbara Mitschdoerfer , Dieter Wolke

{"title":"Forever premature: Adults born preterm and their life challenges","authors":"Gaby Stegmann-Woessner , Peter Bartmann , Barbara Mitschdoerfer , Dieter Wolke","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106248","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Adults born preterm face greater social, cognitive, mental and physical challenges in adulthood than their full term born peers according to longitudinal studies. In contrast, little is known about the lived experiences of adults born preterm.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The study investigates the lived experiences of adults born preterm across the life course and their views on health care support.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A qualitative study of 21 participants completing semi structured interviews analyzed through content analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Over half of adults born preterm report trauma and feeling of otherness since early childhood, high sensitivity to the environment, higher introversion/shyness and social or performance related anxiety. Over half reported that their parents were traumatized by the preterm birth and tried to compensate by overprotective parenting that, however, stifled them becoming independent. Over half experienced bullying victimization and many have continuing mental health problems. Overload by demands in school or work is a consistent theme that makes it hard to have the energy to socialize. Many received physical therapy in childhood and most had psychotherapy in adulthood. Many feel that health professionals trivialize the long-term effects of prematurity and most find support from their parents or peer network.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Prematurity has significantly shaped the life of adults born preterm. Greater awareness and recognition of the unique needs of this group are essential to provide adequate support. Existing services fail to address these needs highlighting an urgent demand for enhanced social and psychological services for educational and workplace settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"204 ","pages":"Article 106248"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Early human development","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378378225000581","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Adults born preterm face greater social, cognitive, mental and physical challenges in adulthood than their full term born peers according to longitudinal studies. In contrast, little is known about the lived experiences of adults born preterm.

Objective

The study investigates the lived experiences of adults born preterm across the life course and their views on health care support.

Methods

A qualitative study of 21 participants completing semi structured interviews analyzed through content analysis.

Results

Over half of adults born preterm report trauma and feeling of otherness since early childhood, high sensitivity to the environment, higher introversion/shyness and social or performance related anxiety. Over half reported that their parents were traumatized by the preterm birth and tried to compensate by overprotective parenting that, however, stifled them becoming independent. Over half experienced bullying victimization and many have continuing mental health problems. Overload by demands in school or work is a consistent theme that makes it hard to have the energy to socialize. Many received physical therapy in childhood and most had psychotherapy in adulthood. Many feel that health professionals trivialize the long-term effects of prematurity and most find support from their parents or peer network.

Conclusions

Prematurity has significantly shaped the life of adults born preterm. Greater awareness and recognition of the unique needs of this group are essential to provide adequate support. Existing services fail to address these needs highlighting an urgent demand for enhanced social and psychological services for educational and workplace settings.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Early human development 医学-妇产科学

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

4.00%

发文量

100

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Established as an authoritative, highly cited voice on early human development, Early Human Development provides a unique opportunity for researchers and clinicians to bridge the communication gap between disciplines. Creating a forum for the productive exchange of ideas concerning early human growth and development, the journal publishes original research and clinical papers with particular emphasis on the continuum between fetal life and the perinatal period; aspects of postnatal growth influenced by early events; and the safeguarding of the quality of human survival. The first comprehensive and interdisciplinary journal in this area of growing importance, Early Human Development offers pertinent contributions to the following subject areas: Fetology; perinatology; pediatrics; growth and development; obstetrics; reproduction and fertility; epidemiology; behavioural sciences; nutrition and metabolism; teratology; neurology; brain biology; developmental psychology and screening.