Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in infancy has been shown to be related to less optimal physical and psychological functioning later in life. While survival rates of infants with BPD have increased over the past decade, little is known about the potential developmental problems imposed by BPD early in life which might lead to the documented negative sequelae shown in previous research. In addition to documenting a range of outcome measures, the proposed study aims to assess feeding interactions in BPD infants, since maladaptive feeding behaviors may contribute to the growth and nutritional problems reported in BPD infants. Medical complications and parental psychological factors will be examined as potentially mediating variables influencing feeding interactions. The proposed study will be a longitudinal, prospective investigation of the medical, social, and developmental correlates of chronic BPD during the first 3 years of life. Two-hundred and forty infants (80 BPD, 80 very low birthweight (VLBW) pre-terms without lung disease, and 80 healthy term controls matched for age, sex, race and socioeconomic status) will be followed from birth and given standardized assessments of developmental and physical functioning. At intake, demographic, birth, and medical data will be collected through chart review. Standardized questionnaires measuring parental stress and family supports will be administered to the parents. Infants will be followed-up at 8 mos., 1,2, and 3., (ages corrected for prematurity), at which time parental measures will be repeated and standardized assessments of physical growth, medical status, cognitive, language, and behavioral development will be given. Feeding behaviors will be assessed through a standardized observation and interview at each visit. Matched control groups of pre-term, healthy infants will be recruited as a comparison. Data will be evaluated descriptively as well as through a series of multivariate analyses of variance with repeated measures to describe the functioning of infants with BPD and to understand the developmental interferences imposed by BPD based on comparisons to healthy term and VLBW pre-term infants. The proposed research will provide practical information about family and developmental stresses related to BPD, which might be amenable to intervention early in life as well as contribute to theoretical understanding of the role of chronic illness in child development.
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