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Growth trajectories of extremely low birth weight infants from birth to young adulthood: a longitudinal,

Saroj Saigal1, Barbara Stoskopf, David Streiner

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 3Z5, Canada. saigal@mcmaster.ca

Pediatric Research
|October 27, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Extremely low birthweight (ELBW) children experienced initial growth failure but achieved normal adult BMI, though height deficits persisted. This pattern may pose risks for future metabolic and cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Human Growth and Development
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants face significant growth challenges.
  • Long-term growth trajectories and health outcomes for ELBW survivors require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare sex-specific growth attainment in extremely low birthweight (ELBW) versus normal birthweight (NBW) individuals into young adulthood.
  • To examine growth trajectories and identify correlates of growth from infancy to adulthood.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal population-based cohort study comparing ELBW and NBW individuals.
  • Growth parameters (weight, height, BMI) assessed at multiple time points (ages 1, 2, 3, 8, adolescence, young adulthood).
  • Statistical analysis of sex-specific growth trajectories and z-scores.

Main Results:

  • ELBW individuals showed initial weight-for-age z-score decline to age 3, followed by catch-up growth to adolescence and adulthood.
  • Height-for-age z-scores remained disadvantaged for ELBW individuals compared to NBW peers and mid-parental height.
  • BMI z-scores for ELBW individuals showed a sustained incline from age 3 to adulthood, normalizing to above zero and comparable to NBW peers.

Conclusions:

  • ELBW survivors exhibit distinct growth patterns, including infantile growth failure followed by accelerated weight gain and BMI normalization in adulthood.
  • Persistent height deficits in ELBW individuals warrant attention.
  • The pattern of accelerated weight gain in ELBW survivors may increase risks for insulin resistance and coronary heart disease, despite normalized adult BMI.

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