Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
04:20
Limited Bedding and Nesting as a Model for Early-Life Adversity in Mice
Published on: July 12, 2024
Pune low birth weight study, growth from birth to adulthood
Sudha Chaudhari1, Madhumati Otiv, Bharati Khairnar
1Department of Pediatrics, KEM Hospital, Pune 411 011, Maharashtra, India. kemhrc@vsnl.net
Indian Pediatrics
|July 14, 2012
Summary
Low birth weight (LBW) males born preterm and small for gestational age were shorter at 18 years. However, LBW children showed no increased risk of adiposity or hypertension compared to controls.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Growth and Development
- Neonatal Health Outcomes
- Cardiovascular Health in Adolescence
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) is associated with potential long-term health issues.
- Understanding the growth trajectory and health status of LBW individuals into adulthood is crucial.
- Previous studies have shown mixed results regarding the long-term effects of LBW on adiposity and blood pressure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the growth, adiposity, and blood pressure at 18 years in children born with low birth weight.
- To identify factors influencing height and weight in this cohort.
- To assess the prevalence of adiposity and hypertension in young adults who experienced LBW.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study followed 161 low birth weight (LBW) infants born between 1987-1989.
- Participants were categorized into preterm SGA, full term SGA, and preterm AGA groups, with full term AGA infants as controls.
- Measurements included height, weight, head circumference, adiposity, and blood pressure at 18 years.
Main Results:
- Preterm SGA males exhibited significantly shorter stature (mean deficit of 5.7 cm) compared to controls, despite normal mid-parental height.
- Preterm SGA and AGA children had smaller head circumferences.
- No evidence of increased adiposity or hypertension was found in the LBW cohort at 18 years.
Conclusions:
- Preterm SGA males demonstrate reduced height at 18 years, but weight is comparable to controls.
- Smaller head circumference is noted in preterm LBW infants.
- LBW does not appear to predispose individuals to adiposity or hypertension by age 18.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Nature and Nurture
Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
00:57Population Growth
Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...
02:20Longitudinal Research
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
01:29Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns
Microorganisms exhibit diverse oxygen requirements and growth patterns driven by their metabolic strategies and environmental adaptations. Oxygen, while essential for many organisms, can also be toxic under certain conditions, shaping how microorganisms grow and survive.Oxygen Requirements of MicroorganismsMicroorganisms are classified based on their ability to use or tolerate oxygen:● Obligate aerobes like Mycobacterium tuberculosis need oxygen for energy production, as it serves as the...
01:27Signs of Puberty
Puberty is a critical phase, typically beginning between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys, though timing can vary based on genetics, environmental factors, and overall health. This period is characterized by the development of secondary sexual characteristics and the attainment of reproductive potential. Endocrine changes underpin puberty, with hormonal surges of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) instigated by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)...