Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

The extremely low gestational age newborn (ELGAN) study collected data from over 1,506 infants from fourteen hospitals born at 28 weeks’ gestation or earlier. At the time of birth, data was collected about maternal health conditions, including pre-pregnancy diabetes, obesity, hypertension and asthma. Follow-up studies were conducted when these individuals were two, ten, and fifteen years old and among the data collected were social and environmental variables, including maternal education. A positive child health index (PCHI) has been developed in order to evaluate adverse health outcomes in later life for ELGANs and to identify antecedents of positive health in childhood. This index was calculated at both the 10-year and 15-year follow-up interviews, and it is known that maternal health conditions at birth can influence PCHI among ELGANs at age 10. The aim of this project was to determine if changes in a maternal education between birth and age 15 years moderate the relationship between maternal health conditions and positive child health at age 15 years.

Keywords: Extremely low gestational age newborns, socioeconomic status, maternal health, children’s health, United States