Comparison of functional status of 8- to 12-year-old children born prematurely: an integrative review of literature.

Prematurity affects one in eight infants in the United States, a rate that reflects an overall increase of 20% between 1990 and 2005 (March of Dimes, 2008). This integrative review presents a synthesis of the current research addressing the functional status of 8- to 12-year-old children born prematurely. Findings from this review support the belief that children born prematurely function differently than their term peers. These children have academic and social delays that may necessitate special service support through middle childhood.