Quality of life of former premature infants during adolescence and beyond

Interest in determining the quality of life of children and adults is now considered a priority. This is a result of a shift in thinking with greater transparency in finding out not only the health outcomes, but also the personal burden of illness and life satisfaction for the individual. However, there is still no consensus on the definition of quality of life or the appropriate tools to measure the same. In the last three decades there has been an exponential increase in the number of publications measuring quality of life, particularly in former premature infants. Most studies show that despite disabilities, children rate their quality of life almost equivalent to that of children born at term, and higher than that predicted by health professionals. This review will focus on the conceptual framework and measurement of self-reported quality of life in the context of former premature infants at adolescence and young adulthood.