Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 8, 2026
Breast Milk Enhances Growth of Enteroids: An Ex Vivo Model of Cell Proliferation
Published on: February 15, 2018
Should We Promote Catch-Up Growth or Growth Acceleration in Low-Birthweight Infants?
1Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Insights
Catch-up growth in infants can offer short-term benefits but may increase long-term health risks like obesity and metabolic disease. Optimal growth patterns vary by population, indicating no one-size-fits-all approach.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Biology
- Public Health
Background:
- Catch-up growth, or accelerated postnatal growth, is common in low birthweight infants, a significant global health issue.
- While faster growth may have short-term advantages, it is linked to increased long-term risks including aging, obesity, and metabolic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the complex relationship between postnatal growth patterns and long-term health outcomes.
- To evaluate the suitability of current growth promotion policies across diverse infant populations.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on postnatal growth and long-term health.
- Analysis of growth patterns in different infant cohorts (e.g., preterm, term, low birthweight, varying socioeconomic backgrounds).
Main Results:
- Faster postnatal growth in preterm infants improves cognitive function but raises cardiovascular disease risk factors.
- The benefits of catch-up growth in term infants from developed countries are minimal for both short- and long-term health.
- Optimal growth strategies likely differ based on population-specific factors and environmental contexts.
Conclusions:
- A universal 'one-size-fits-all' policy for promoting postnatal growth is inappropriate.
- Growth promotion strategies require tailored approaches considering infant characteristics and environmental influences.
- Further research is needed to determine optimal growth trajectories for diverse infant populations.
Abstract:
The idea that catch-up growth or growth acceleration has adverse effects on long-term health has generated much debate. This pattern of growth is most commonly seen after birth in infants of low birthweight; a global problem affecting over 20 million newborns a year. Faster postnatal growth may have short-term benefits but increases the long-term risk of aging, obesity and metabolic disease. Consequently, the optimal pattern of postnatal growth is unclear and is likely to differ in different populations. In infants born prematurely, faster postnatal growth improves long-term cognitive function but is associated with later risk factors for cardiovascular disease. So, on balance, the current policy is to promote faster growth by increasing nutrient intake (e.g. using higher-nutrient preterm formulas). Whether the same policy should apply to larger preterm infants is not known. Similarly, in infants from impoverished environments, the short-term benefits of faster postnatal growth may outweigh long-term disadvantages. However, whether similar considerations apply to infants from countries in transition is uncertain. For term infants from developed countries, promoting catch-up growth by nutritional supplementation has few advantages for short- or long-term health. Overall therefore, a 'one size fits all' solution for the optimal pattern of postnatal growth is unlikely.
More Related Videos
05:04A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
Published on: September 22, 2023
14:19Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
Related Concept Videos
01:10Nature and Nurture
01:29Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns
00:57Population Growth
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
01:28Bacterial Growth Curve