Health-Related Quality-of-Life and Household Financial and Wellbeing Impacts of Prematurity and Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC).

When a baby is born very prematurely, it can be a challenging time for the whole family, both emotionally and financially. This is especially true if the baby experiences serious health problems like necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a severe bowel condition that can affect premature babies. NEC often requires extensive medical care, including surgery and a long stay in the hospital. The PREM-IMPACT study aims to understand the full impact of these experiences on families in the UK.

Researchers want to see how families cope over the first year after their baby leaves the hospital. They will collect information on the baby's health and quality of life, as well as the financial, emotional, and social well-being of the parents and any brothers or sisters. This includes looking at things like hospital visits, time off work, and any extra costs families might have. By comparing families whose babies had NEC with those whose babies didn't, the study hopes to get a clear picture of the challenges faced.

This project is working alongside another important study called the WHEAT trial. The WHEAT trial is investigating whether it's better to pause or continue feeding very premature babies milk during blood transfusions to try and reduce the risk of NEC. The PREM-IMPACT study will help figure out if certain feeding practices are not only good for the baby's health but also for the family and the NHS budget in the long run. The findings will help doctors and policymakers make better decisions about care for premature babies in the future.