Small for gestational age associated with short stature during adolescence

This study examined the relationship between intrauterine growth retardation and adolescent stature in a sample of 1510 White subjects (754 males and 756 females) who were evaluated at birth and at the ages of 15, 16, and 17 years. The subjects were classified into two groups based on birthweight, small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA), corresponding respectively to values below the 10th, and between the 11th and 99th, percentiles of gestational age and sex. Results showed that boys and girls born prematurely (gestational age < 37 weeks of gestation) attained the same stature as those born at full term (>37 weeks of gestation). In contrast, those born SGA were significantly shorter than their counterparts born AGA. The average reduction in stature was 4.9 cm for males and 2.9 cm for females. When the analysis included adjustments for parental stature (and adolescent's age at menarche for females), the average reduction in stature equaled about 3.5 cm for males and 2.0 cm for females. It is thus concluded that the stature deficit reflects a reduction in growth rate rather than delay in maturation. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.