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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Preterm newborn's postnatal growth patterns: how to evaluate them
Rita C Silveira1, Renato Soibelmann Procianoy1
1Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Departamento de Pediatria, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Serviço de Neonatologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Insights
Individual growth trajectories are key for monitoring preterm infant growth, especially for those born before 33 weeks gestation. For larger preterm infants, standard growth curves are suitable.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Growth Monitoring
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Postnatal growth in preterm infants is influenced by various factors.
- Accurate growth evaluation is crucial for optimizing nutritional care.
- Preterm infants often present a 'bundle of vulnerabilities' impacting growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define methods for evaluating individual growth trajectories in preterm infants.
- To determine appropriate growth curves for different risk levels and gestational ages.
- To guide nutritional interventions based on individual growth patterns.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies on growth curves and nutritional adjustments.
- Literature search conducted on PubMed and Google Scholar.
- Focus on studies prioritizing individual postnatal growth rate.
Main Results:
- Longitudinal neonatal data across various gestational ages are essential for optimal growth pattern evaluation.
- High and medium-risk pregnancies require specific considerations in growth assessment.
- Individual growth trajectories offer an alternative monitoring approach.
Conclusions:
- Individual growth trajectories are recommended for preterm infants <33 weeks gestation.
- Intergrowth 21st curves are appropriate for preterm infants >33 weeks gestation.
- Tailored nutritional care is vital for all preterm infants.
Objectives:
There are several factors that influence the postnatal growth of preterm infants. It is crucial to define how to evaluate the growth rate of each preterm child and its individual trajectory, the type of growth curve, either with parameters of prescriptive curves for healthy preterm infants with no morbidities or, in the case of preterm infants and their "bundle of vulnerabilities", growth curves that may represent how they are actually growing, with the aim of directing appropriate nutritional care to each gestational age range.
Data Sources:
The main studies with growth curves for growth monitoring and the appropriate nutritional adjustments that prioritized the individual trajectory of postnatal growth rate were reviewed. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched.
Data Synthesis:
The use of longitudinal neonatal data with different gestational ages and considering high and medium-risk pregnancies will probably be essential to evaluate the optimal growth pattern.
Conclusions:
Prioritizing and knowing the individual growth trajectory of each preterm child is an alternative for preterm infants with less than 33 weeks of gestational age. For larger preterm infants born at gestational age >33 weeks, the Intergrowth 21st curves are adequate.
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