Growth patterns in preterm infants born appropriate for gestational age

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neonatology
• Growth and Development

Background:

• Preterm infants born appropriate for gestational age (PT-AGA) represent a significant population requiring growth assessment.
• Understanding contemporary growth trajectories is crucial for identifying potential developmental challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the growth patterns of PT-AGA infants compared to full-term AGA (FT-AGA) infants.
• To test the hypothesis that PT-AGA infants exhibit inferior growth compared to FT-AGA infants.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study involving 64 PT-AGA and 64 FT-AGA infants.
• Measurements of weight and length recorded at 0, 4, 8, and 12 months corrected age (CA).
• Utilized Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data for Z-score calculations based on CA.

Main Results:

• PT-AGA infants demonstrated significantly lower mean length and weight Z-scores than FT-AGA infants at all assessed time points (P < 0.001).
• Mean weight Z-scores were consistently lower than mean length Z-scores in PT-AGA infants, though not statistically significant.
• Growth deficits were evident from term through 12 months of CA.

Conclusions:

• PT-AGA infants exhibit poorer growth trajectories compared to FT-AGA infants up to at least 1 year of corrected age.
• The findings underscore the need for sustained growth monitoring in preterm populations.
• Early identification of growth faltering is essential for timely intervention.