The follow-up: supporting the premature infants and their families in the first years of life

Prematurity (all birth that occurs before the 37th week of gestation, World Health Organization) represents an important perinatal health problem as it is one of the main causes of neonatal morbidity and death. In the past decades, the gradual increase in survival of preterm birthsleaded clinician to face preemies smaller for weight and gestational age (GA), at high risk for negative development sequences. Indeed, the immaturity of the biological systems, joined with the complications and the treatment needed for survival, have a relevant impact on infant, exposing him to the risk of developmental delays. They also more frequently present neuropsychological problems, such as language and attention deficits, disorders in perception, visual-motor integration and learning.