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Association between birth weight and neurodevelopment at age 1-6 months: results from the Wuhan Healthy Baby Cohort
Man Zhang1, Marufu Martin Gazimbi2, Zhong Chen3
1Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Insights
Low birth weight (LBW) and macrosomia are linked to infant development quotients. LBW increases the risk of neurodevelopmental delays in motor skills and adaptability for infants aged 1-6 months.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- The relationship between birth weight and infant neurodevelopment requires further clarification.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for early intervention and improved child health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of birth weight categories on infant neurodevelopment.
- To analyze neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants aged 1-6 months based on birth weight.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 4026 infants from the Wuhan Healthy Baby Cohort (WHBC) study.
- Infants categorized into low birth weight (<2500g), normal birth weight (2500-3999g), and macrosomia (≥4000g).
- Neurodevelopment assessed using development quotient (DQ) and clinical diagnosis of neurodevelopmental delay.
Main Results:
- Low birth weight (LBW) was associated with lower DQ in gross motor, fine motor, adaptability, language, and social behavior domains.
- Macrosomia was associated with altered DQ in motor and adaptability domains.
- LBW significantly increased the risk of diagnosed neurodevelopmental delay in gross motor, fine motor, and adaptability.
Conclusions:
- Both LBW and macrosomia are associated with infant development quotients.
- LBW poses a significant risk for neurodevelopmental delays in gross motor, fine motor, and adaptability in infants up to 6 months of age.
Objective:
The association between birth weight and infants' neurodevelopment is not well understood. We aimed to examine the impact of birth weight on neurodevelopment of infants at age 1-6 months using data from the Wuhan Healthy Baby Cohort (WHBC) study.
Setting And Participants:
This is a prospective cohort study of 4026 infants from the WHBC study who were born at the Women and Children's Hospital of Wuhan, China between October 2012 and September 2013 and who had complete healthcare records within 6 months after birth. Participants were categorised into three groups according to their birth weight: low birth weight (LBW; birth weight <2500 g), normal birth weight (2500 g ≤ birth weight <4000 g) and macrosomia (birth weight ≥4000 g).
Main Outcome Measures:
The main outcomes were development quotient (DQ) and clinical diagnosis of neurodevelopmental delay. Both adjusted regression coefficients and ORs were estimated for LBW and macrosomia.
Results:
Of the 4026 infants, 166 (4.12%) were of LBW and 237 (5.89%) were with macrosomia. Adjusted regression coefficients of LBW and macrosomia for gross motor DQ were -11.18 (95% CI -11.36 to 10.99) and 0.49 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.63), fine motor DQ -6.57 (95% CI -6.76 to -6.39) and -2.73 (95% CI -2.87 to -2.59), adaptability DQ -4.87 (95% CI -5.05 to -4.68) and -1.19 (95% CI -1.33 to -1.05), language DQ -6.23 (95% CI -6.42 to -6.05) and 0.43 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.57), and social behaviour DQ -6.82 (95% CI -7.01 to -6.64) and 1.10 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.24). Adjusted OR of LBW for clinical diagnosis of 'neurodevelopmental delay' in gross motor was 2.43 (95% CI 1.65 to 3.60), fine motor 1.49 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.19) and adaptability 1.56 (95% CI 1.06 to 2.31). LBW has no significant effects on 'neurodevelopmental delay' in language and social behaviour, and macrosomia has no significant effects on clinical diagnosis of 'neurodevelopmental delay' in all domains.
Conclusion:
Both LBW and macrosomia are associated with infants' DQ, and LBW increases the risk of being diagnosed with 'neurodevelopmental delay' in gross motor, fine motor and adaptability among infants aged 1-6 months.
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