Preemie Child Mailing List for parents of children born premature who are now school age or older.

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The Preemie Child mailing list, founded in 1997, provides support and information on the long term impacts of prematurity for parents of school age preemies. Parents of children 4 years or older who were born prematurely are welcome.

Children who are born very prematurely may have disabilities and special needs, including medical, physical and psychological impacts, which continue to require attention as they enter school and society. These disabilities and special needs are often difficult to address because they may be "invisible" and multiple. This listserv brings our families together for support to learn from each other's experiences.

Examples of special needs related to premature birth include:

Asthma, behavior issues, eye damage (ROP, glasses, myopia, blindness), speech impairment, feeding problems, ADHD (attention disorders and/or hyperactivity), learning disabilities, cerebral palsy and muscle tone issues, fine motor problems impacting handwriting or other skills, autism and Aspergers Syndrome, gastrointestinal issues, hearing loss, lower IQ scores, and other physical and mental special needs.

The purpose of the list is to assist parents in raising their children, so that their child and adult preemies may reach their full potential. The underlying assumption of this group is that our children are valued members of our families and of society, who may need additional support, information, care and understanding as they grow up, and beyond.

Premature birth itself lets to a wide range of potential outcomes, which are represented within our group - from miniscule to severe, from emotional to physical, from head to foot! As in society, our group of preemie parents is diverse, representing many different values, education levels, and personalities. Our underlying unity is to explore the long term impacts - physical, emotional, and otherwise - of prematurity, and to support one another in the care of our children. Participation in this group is predicated upon an atmosphere of polite respect and consideration towards one another (and our children), and by our agreement to cheerfully abide by the basic list rules.

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