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Updated: Mar 9, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Adult height of preterm infants: a longitudinal cohort study
E C Ferguson1, N P Wright1, A T Gibson2
1Department of Endocrinology, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
Insights
Preterm infants born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) achieve similar adult heights to term-born children. Catch-up growth extends throughout childhood, longer than previously believed.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Preterm infants often experience growth failure and subsequent catch-up growth.
- Traditional views suggest catch-up growth is complete within the first few years of life.
- Previous studies often focused on birth weight, including many small for gestational age infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if appropriate weight for gestation (AGA) preterm children attain their expected adult height compared to term-born controls.
- To assess the duration and extent of catch-up growth in AGA preterm children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective longitudinal cohort study in the UK.
- Recruited 204 preterm children born at a tertiary neonatal unit and 50 matched term controls.
- Assessed growth parameters annually until growth completion.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in final height Standard Deviation Score (SDS) between term-born (n=30) and AGA preterm children (n=70).
- Catch-up growth continued throughout childhood in the preterm AGA group.
- No significant differences were found when comparing final height SDS to mid-parental height SDS between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Preterm children born AGA achieve comparable adult heights to their term-born peers.
- Catch-up growth in AGA preterm children extends significantly longer than traditionally assumed.
Background:
Many infants born prematurely experience growth failure following delivery, with subsequent catch-up growth. Traditionally catch-up was thought to be complete in the first few years of life. Most studies have focused on groups of infants defined by birth weight, for example <1500 g, resulting in disproportionate numbers of small for gestational age infants. This study aimed to determine whether appropriate weight for gestation (AGA) preterm born children reach their expected adult height when compared with term controls.
Methodology:
This UK based prospective longitudinal cohort study recruited 204 preterm children born at a tertiary neonatal unit during 1994 and 50 matched controls. Growth parameters have been assessed annually until the completion of growth.
Results:
There was no significant difference in the final height SD score (SDS) of children born at term (n=30) and those born prematurely and AGA (n=70) (0.45 term vs 0.22 preterm). Catch-up growth however, continued throughout the whole of childhood. When the difference between final height SDS and mid-parental height SDS were compared, there were again no significant differences (0.13 term vs 0.03 preterm).
Conclusions:
Those born prematurely with an AGA achieve a comparable adult height to children born at term, however, catch-up growth continues for much longer than traditionally thought.
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