[Comparison between five growth curves used in a public hospital]

Area of Science:

• Neonatology
• Pediatric Growth Assessment
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Accurate growth evaluation is crucial for preterm infants.
• Several growth curves exist, but their applicability in clinical practice for preterm neonates requires validation.
• The Williams curve is a reference standard for growth assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare five commonly used growth curves for preterm infants.
• To identify curves that provide similar diagnoses to the Williams reference curve.
• To determine the clinical utility of different growth evaluation tools for preterm neonates.

Main Methods:

• An analytical, prospective, comparative, and cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 preterm infants (30-36 weeks gestation).
• Weight and length were measured to compare nutritional diagnoses using Babson-Benda, Fenton, Jurado-Garcia, Battaglia-Lubchenco, and Williams curves.
• Statistical analysis, including the chi-squared test, was used to compare diagnostic proportions against the Williams curve.

Main Results:

• The Jurado-Garcia and Battaglia-Lubchenco curves demonstrated diagnostic agreement with the Williams reference curve.
• The Babson-Benda and Fenton curves showed similar distributions for diagnosing small for gestational age (50%).
• Prevalence of small for gestational age diagnosis varied: Jurado-Garcia (43%), Williams (38%), and Battaglia-Lubchenco (29%).

Conclusions:

• The Jurado-Garcia and Battaglia-Lubchenco curves are recommended for evaluating both intrauterine and extrauterine growth in preterm infants.
• These validated curves offer reliable diagnostic information for clinical practice.
• The study supports the use of specific growth curves for accurate preterm infant assessment.