Social functioning of individuals born very preterm from childhood to early adulthood

Social difficulties have often been reported in children born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks’ gestation) compared with their full-term (FT; >37 weeks' gestation) counterparts, although there is a lack of research into adolescence and beyond. This thesis offered a comprehensive examination of social functioning and its related factors in individuals born VPT from childhood to early adulthood. It displayed how children born VPT have greater relationship challenges related to FT peers which exacerbate with time, while adults born VPT show lower social cognition compared with FT peers. This thesis highlighted social functioning as an important developmental outcome that warrants further investigation.