14 weeks premature, Alicia weighed just over one kilogram and
spent the first three months of her life in hospital.
Looking at Alicia today, it's hard to imagine she was once small
enough to fit into the palms of her mother's hands.
Experiences like these are all too common with 3,000 babies born
10 or more weeks premature each year in Australia. Thanks to
advances in medical technology, 80 percent will now survive. But
how will they grow up?
Alicia is among a number of children participating in studies at
the Murdoch Childrens to examine and improve the health and
development of premature babies and the wellbeing of their
families.
Research has found more than a third of toddlers born 10 or more
weeks premature were at risk of social, emotional problems such as
anxiety and depression by the time they turned two.
Researchers at the Murdoch Childrens are looking at how their
unique early intervention can improve the development outcomes of
these children. The results show babies who receive extra support
from health workers in the first year of life have better
behavioural outcomes at the age of two. Their parents are also less
likely to report signs of anxiety and depression. The children are
being followed up at the age of four and five to assess the
long-term effects of intervention.