Abstract
Objective: Infants born preterm are at increased risk of adverse health and developmental outcomes. Our objective was to measure the socioeconomic burden of preterm birth on their parents and the society.
Methods: A novel web-based technology was constructed to perform a survey of parents of preterm infants. It was developed in collaboration with parents, pediatricians and socio-economic researchers. Main focus were morbidity, social status, and direct and indirect costs. Parents were invited to participate to this online-questionnaire from an information letter sent out to pediatricians and therapists and from websites targeting parents of preterm birth. Data were collected between September 2007 and March 2008 in Germany and Austria.
Results: Parents of 588 preterm-birth children responded. 76% of these children were born less than 32 weeks of gestation. In the first five years of age after discharge from perinatal services, parents travelled in total 11 950 km (patient visits, doctor visits, ambulant checkups). Costs for drugs, supportive devices, travel and child care were 6614€. In this five year period, children spent 476 hours in therapies like occupational and physiotherapy (95hours/year). Consequences for parents at place of work ranged from lack of understanding from colleagues to loss of income (1200€) due to missing working days.
Conclusions: This survey is a novel approach to assess the social and economic burden on parents of preterm infants. Moreover, it helps to measure the impact of preterm births also to the society. After adaptation, this survey will be expanded to a European level.
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Karen, T., Außerer, A., Krimbacher, M. et al. 1209 Socioeconomic Impact of Preterm Birth in Germany and Austria:A Parental Perspective. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 599 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-01209
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-01209
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