Parental perspectives of outcomes following very preterm birth: Seeing the good, not just the bad

To describe parental perspective on health and developmental outcomes of their preterm child in relation to level of neurodevelopment impairment (NDI).A parental survey about their children aged 15-36 months corrected age born ˂29 weeks' gestation investigated parental concerns and positive attributes. Parental responses in relation to their child's level of NDI were examined using Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square for trends tests.199 parental responses were obtained for 163 children, including 44% with NDI. Vast majority of parents reported their children were developing well with good physical health. All parents, irrespective of NDI, reported their children were happy and had a positive personality. Appreciation of social interactions was higher for parents of children without versus with NDI (96% versus 87%, p=0.039). Parents of children with NDI were more likely to express concerns than those without NDI. Overall, development was the most common area of concerns (45%), followed by the child's future (40%) and physical health (35%).Parents of preterm children report many positive points and concerns, some of which are not examined in neonatal follow up data. These parental perspectives could be used to inform parents of preterm infants, both antenatally and in the neonatal unit.