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First year growth among very low birth weight infants

Ane C Westerberg1, Christine Henriksen, Asta Ellingvåg

  • 1Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. a.c.westerberg@medisin.uio.no

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|January 26, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Very low birth weight infants experienced catch-up growth but remained smaller than full-term peers. Early growth restriction at discharge worsened growth deficiencies despite catch-up efforts.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Human Growth and Development

Background:

  • Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants often face growth challenges.
  • Growth restriction at hospital discharge may impact long-term development.
  • Understanding VLBW infant growth is crucial for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the first-year growth trajectory of VLBW infants.
  • To assess the impact of growth restriction at hospital discharge on their subsequent growth.

Main Methods:

  • Collected anthropometric data and background information for 118 VLBW infants.
  • Calculated Z-scores using recent Norwegian growth references.
  • Utilized multiple regression to identify key factors influencing growth.

Main Results:

  • VLBW infants showed significant catch-up growth in weight and length during the first year.
  • Despite catch-up, they remained smaller than full-term peers at 12 months corrected age.
  • Infants discharged with growth restriction exhibited more pronounced deficiencies, even with increased catch-up growth.

Conclusions:

  • VLBW infants demonstrate catch-up growth but do not fully reach full-term peer size by one year.
  • Early growth restriction is a significant predictor of persistent growth deficits in VLBW infants.
  • Targeted interventions for growth-restricted VLBW infants may be necessary.
Abstract

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