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Very low birth weight and growth to age 8 years. I: Weight and height
W H Kitchen1, L W Doyle, G W Ford
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Melbourne, Australia.
Insights
Children born with higher birth weights are taller and heavier by age 8. Prenatal factors significantly predict long-term growth in low birth weight infants, more than postnatal care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Development
- Growth Monitoring
Background:
- Birth weight is a critical indicator of infant health.
- Understanding long-term growth trajectories is essential for pediatric care.
- Early life factors influence childhood development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare height and weight growth patterns in children based on birth weight cohorts.
- To identify predictors of growth faltering in children with low birth weight.
- To assess the impact of prenatal vs. postnatal health on long-term growth.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking height and weight at ages 2, 5, and 8 years.
- Categorization of children into three birth weight groups (500-999g, 1000-1499g, >2500g).
- Analysis of growth increments and percentile tracking for children with birth weights <1500g.
Main Results:
- Children with birth weights >2500g were significantly taller and heavier by age 8.
- Growth rates varied between ages 5-8 years, with higher birth weight groups showing faster growth.
- Prenatal factors were stronger predictors of 8-year growth percentiles than postnatal health for low birth weight infants.
Conclusions:
- Birth weight significantly influences childhood growth trajectories.
- Prenatal health is a crucial determinant of long-term growth outcomes in vulnerable infants.
- Early growth monitoring and intervention strategies should consider prenatal risk factors.
Abstract:
We determined the heights and weights at ages 2, 5, and 8 years for the following three cohorts of children: group 1 with birth weights between 500 and 999 g; group 2 with birth weights between 1000 and 1499 g; and group 3 with birth weights more than 2500 g. By age 8 years, group 3 children were significantly heavier and taller than all children in groups 1 and 2 combined; group 1 children were significantly shorter than those in group 2, but their weights were similar. From ages 2 to 5 years, annual increments in weight and height were similar in all three groups; however, between ages 5 and 8 years, children in group 3 grew faster than those in groups 1 and 2 combined, and children in group 1 had smaller height increments than those in group 2. Of children with birth weights less than 1500 g, with a weight or height under the 10th percentile at age 2 years, only approximately one half were still below the 10th percentile for the corresponding measurement at age 8 years. Health variables determined before birth, such as maternal height or birth weight ratio, were more important than health after birth in predicting a height or weight below the 10th percentile at age 8 years in children with birth weights less than 1500 g.