Premature Babies More Likely To Need Occupational Therapy Support

The research found that by the time these preterm babies became teenagers, 64 percent required support from an occupational therapist or physiotherapist to lead an active lifestyle.

A further 60 percent of prematurely born children required help with daily tasks such as eating, using the bathroom, walking and dressing themselves.

This is compared to only 25 percent of babies in the study who had been carried to full term requiring assistance to live an active life, and 29 percent requiring help with daily tasks.

Occupational therapists would also be required to help prematurely born adults avoid developing conditions they may be susceptible to, including lung disease, sight problems and nervous system degeneration.