Background

In NICU

In the last decades children born prematurely have improved their chanses of survival considerably. At the same time there is documented risk for both psykological and physical developmental disturbances or delays especially children born extremly early, that is before 28. week of gestational age or a birthweight below 1500 gram.

International documentation are supported by studies in Norway; Sommerfeldts study and the Ullevål-study by Smith, Ulvund & Lindemann.
In J. Tunbys follow-up study of 117 prematurly born children in Troms and Finnmark, the parents of 37% of the children with birthweight below 1500 gram reported developmental disturbances like learning difficulties, behaviour problems, language delays, ADHD, autism, motory delays, various degrees of CP, epilepsy, vision- and hearingproblems. The Consensus-conferance ”Limits of treatment of the prematurely born child” in Nowember 1998 concluded that it was big need of follow-up studies, measuring effects of interventions and clinical research. The Prematureproject meets all these needs.

Extremly premature children are caracterized by immaturity in all vitale systems, and have to be nursed with the greatest caution not to inflict the child any harm. The myelinisation of the nervous system occurs in the last trimester where the extremly premature children experience a considerable influence from the surroundings. What they experience of loud noise, strong light and changes in temperature can give life-threatening stress.