Özet:

Objective: The mortality rate of premature infants has decreased with the improvements in antenatal and neonatal care. Despite this decrease, the short- and long-term morbidity is increasing and requires specialized follow-up models for health and developmental risks. It is already known that premature infants at risks or with special needs have specifi c health, education, rehabilitation and social services requirements. The aim of the study was to determine the rate of unmet needs of premature infants in the health, education, rehabilitation and social services fi elds in a tertiary care situation with optimum conditions. Material and Methods: Premature infants and children that presented to Ankara University School of Medicine’s Pediatrics and Developmental Pediatrics Outpatients Department were evaluated by specialists. During the assessment, the health, education-rehabilitation and social services needs and unmet needs were determined using the “Children with unmet needs Evaluation Form”.Results: Forty-two premature infants aged 4-39 months were enrolled. The percentage of unmet needs was 55%, 36%, and 14% in the primary health care, education-rehabilitation and social services, and tertiary health care needs fi elds respectively. Conclusion: There were unmet needs in the health care, education-rehabilitation and social services fi elds even when premature infants were followed by means of a medical home model and a tertiary care unit with optimum conditions. More studies are needed to determine the causes of continuing unmet needs in these fi elds and to develop preventive strategies to decrease the rate of unmet needs

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