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Growth of preterm born children

A M Euser1, C C de Wit, M J J Finken

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Hormone Research
|October 28, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Growth in very preterm or very low-birth-weight infants often involves initial failure followed by incomplete catch-up growth. This can lead to long-term differences in size and body composition, with potential metabolic consequences in adulthood.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Human Growth and Development

Background:

  • Focuses on the long-term growth trajectory of infants born very preterm or with very low birth weight.
  • Highlights the challenges in analyzing growth data due to varying classification methods in existing literature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and describe the growth patterns of (very) preterm infants and (very) low-birth-weight infants from birth through adulthood.
  • To synthesize current understanding of growth trajectories and their long-term implications.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of literature on infant growth.
  • Analysis of growth patterns based on available data, acknowledging definitional inconsistencies.

Main Results:

  • Early postnatal growth failure is common, often followed by catch-up growth starting in infancy and potentially continuing into adolescence.
  • Catch-up growth is typically incomplete, resulting in smaller stature and weight compared to term-born peers throughout life.
  • Disproportionate height and weight gain can alter adult body composition, particularly in females.

Conclusions:

  • Early catch-up growth benefits neurodevelopment but carries risks for adverse adult metabolic outcomes.
  • The long-term health effects require further investigation as the first cohort of these infants reaches adulthood.
Abstract

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