RESUMEN
PURPOSE: In this study, a comparison was done of the extent of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for preterm and fullterm children during early childhood, and factors affecting HRQoL in the early childhood of premature children were analyzed. METHODS: Eighty mothers of children born prematurely and 83 mothers of children born at fullterm listed on two Internet cafes were sampled for this study. The major instrument used for the study was the TNO-AZL Preschool Quality Of Life (TAPQOL) questionnaire. RESULTS: Total score for HRQoL in the premature group was 80.5 (+/-9.9) and for the full term group, 85.0 (+/-8.3), on a 100-point scale. A comparison of the premature group and full term group showed that the domains which scored relatively lower with respect to HRQoL included the stomach, motor function, anxiety, liveliness and communication. Among the factors that have an impact on HRQoL were 'length of stay in neonatal intensive care unit (> or =7 days)' and 'birth weight (<1,000 gm)'. The explanation power of the model was 17%, which was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that a differentiated premature infant follow-up program for children who are hospitalized over 7 days in NICU or weighed under 1,000 g at birth is urgently needed.