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Neonatal and post-natal growth
A T Gibson1, S Carney, E Cavazzoni
1Jessop Hospital for Women, Sheffield, UK. A.T.Gibson@Sheffield.ac.uk
Insights
Accurate infant growth monitoring is crucial, especially during early life. Reliable measurements and classification are vital for identifying growth issues and predicting outcomes, impacting long-term health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Infant growth velocity peaks in late intra-uterine and early post-natal periods.
- Accurate growth measurements are critical for monitoring but often questionable.
- Interpreting short-term growth changes is challenging due to normal variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To emphasize the importance of accurate infant growth assessment.
- To highlight the implications of classifying infants small at birth.
- To underscore the necessity of predicting expected growth patterns.
Main Methods:
- Review of growth measurement accuracy and interpretation challenges.
- Discussion on the classification of infants small for gestational age.
- Emphasis on the role of mid-parental height in growth prediction.
Main Results:
- Accurate classification of infants small at birth is essential due to differing implications.
- Mid-parental height prediction is frequently omitted but crucial.
- Post-natal growth impairment is common in pre-term infants, often with incomplete catch-up.
Conclusions:
- Early growth failure significantly influences subsequent morbidity and mortality.
- Accurate and consistent growth monitoring is paramount for infant health outcomes.
- Addressing growth assessment deficiencies can improve infant care and long-term prognosis.
Abstract:
Growth velocity is higher in late intra-uterine and early post-natal life than at any time thereafter, and accurate measurements are essential for appropriate monitoring. The accuracy with which such measurements are made and recorded is frequently questionable, however, and short- and medium-term changes in growth may be difficult to interpret in the light of normal variations in the pattern of growth. Infants who are small at birth must be accurately classified because intra-uterine growth retardation and small for gestational age have different implications for both causation and outcome. Prediction of expected growth on the basis of mid-parental height is essential but frequently omitted. Post-natal growth impairment is common in pre-term infants and is often rapid in onset. Poor growth may continue for many months, and catch-up may be incomplete. Early growth failure may have a significant influence on subsequent morbidity and mortality.