Can the home environment promote resilience for children born very preterm in the context of social and medical risk?

Abstract

Relationships between the home environment and early developmental outcomes were examined in 166 children born very preterm in one tertiary maternity hospital to explore whether a more optimal home environment could promote resilience. In particular, we explored whether this effect was apparent over and above social risk and children's biological risk, as measured by cerebral white matter abnormality (WMA) evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term-corrected age and length of hospital stay (LOS), and whether the effect of the home environment differed according to WMA. The home environment and social-emotional outcomes were assessed at 2. years' corrected age using the Home Scr..