ABSTRACT
Ongoing advancements in the pre- and postoperative care of the neonate with a surgical condition have enabled the survival of an increasing number of infants with congenital malformations. As the goal of adult functioning is to be self-sufficient and economically productive, adult-based measures of functioning and quality of life (QoL) are not likely relevant to children. Furthermore, children often view health and illness as separate entities, whereas adults see these two items as part of a continuum. Generic quality-of-life measures are designed to assess physical, psychological, and social aspects of health without attention to a specific ailment or disability. These instruments emphasize breadth over specificity by focusing on the common elements of health that transcend all diseases. Condition-specific measures aim to assess the QoL following a specific intervention or for individuals with a specific diagnosis. Functional outcomes can be measured in a variety of formats.
