PhD student: Laura Pavicic
Title: Development, health, inclusion in care and support programs, and socialization of the premature children born between 32 and 36 weeks of amenorrhea
Supervisors: Pierre-Yves Ancel et Marie-Aline Charles
Doctoral school: ED393 École doctorale Pierre Louis de Santé Publique : Épidémiologie et sciences de l’information biomédicale
Promotion: 2023
Funding: Université Paris Cité
Thesis abstract:
Prematurity is defined as a birth before 37 weeks of amenorrhoea (WA). It is divided into 4 categories: late preterm (34 to 36 WA), moderate preterm (32 and 33 WA), very preterm (28 to 31 WA), and extreme preterm (< 28WA) births. In France, the rate of prematurity has consistently been at around 7%, with the following distribution: 4.8% for births occurring between 34 and 36 WA, 1.1% between 32 and 33 WA, and 1.2% for births before 32 WA. The prognosis for prematurity improves with gestational age but remains less favourable for moderate and late premature births compared to the full-term ones. The significance of moderate and late premature births lies in their considerable numbers, underscoring their notable impact. More research is needed to evaluate the development, health, and social integration of moderate and late preterm infants.
In this context, the objectives of this thesis are:
1. To analyse the developmental and health outcomes of children born between 32 and 36 WA at 10 years of age, in comparison with children born at term, using an outcome-wide approach.
2. To analyse the integration of children born between 32- and 36- WA into their environment at 10 years of age by characterising their quality of life, sociability, and involvement in family life.
3. To study the match between the developmental and health difficulties of this population of premature children and the care provided at different stages of life.
