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Are preterm infants at risk for subsequent fractures?
S L Dahlenburg1, N J Bishop, A Lucas
1MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|October 1, 1989
Insights
Preterm birth did not increase fracture risk in young children. This finding is crucial for evaluating suspected child abuse cases involving premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Forensic Medicine
Background:
- Assessing child abuse in preterm infants requires understanding fracture prevalence.
- Previous data on fracture risk in preterm children is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if preterm birth is associated with an increased prevalence of fractures in young children.
- To provide data relevant to the assessment of suspected child abuse in preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study comparing fracture prevalence in children under 6 years presenting with fractures versus controls.
- Inclusion of data on gestational age (low gestation defined as <37 or <33 weeks).
- Comparison groups included children without fractures and all inborn surviving infants.
Main Results:
- No increased prevalence of low gestation (<37 or <33 weeks) was observed in children under 6 years presenting with fractures.
- Fracture prevalence in preterm children did not differ significantly from controls or the general inborn population.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth is not associated with an increased risk of fractures in children under 6 years.
- These findings suggest that fracture occurrence in preterm infants should be evaluated similarly to term infants in suspected child abuse cases.
Abstract:
In Cambridge, between 1979 and 1988, the prevalence of low gestation (less than 37 or less than 33 weeks) was not increased in 362 children under 6 years presenting to casualty with fractures compared with that in 362 children presenting without fractures or in all inborn surviving babies. These data are relevant to the assessment of suspected child abuse after preterm birth.