The aim of the present study was to compare the development of 15 children at the age of 6 years born pre-term (PT) with the development of 15 children born full-term (AT). The development was assessed by interview with their mothers and psychological assessment. PT children showed a significantly longer time of hospitalization, made more use of bottle feeding, their mothers used more medication during pregnancy, parents were more fearful of taking care of the baby. Comparing to FT children, PT showed delay in acquiring behaviors such as sitting and walking. There were no differences between groups in the intellectual level. In both groups behavior problems were found. More complaints regarding stomachaches and the fear of dealing with new situations were found in PT in comparison with FT children.
pre-term; low birth weight; development
