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Birth Weight and the Development of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Infants
Maria Elisabetta Baldassarre1, Antonio Di Mauro1, Silvia Salvatore2
1Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Insights
Extremely low birth weight (ELBW), small for gestational age (SGA), and large for gestational age (LGA) neonates have an increased risk of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Prenatal factors influencing birth weight may impact infant FGID development.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Perinatal Health
Background:
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in infants.
- Birth weight is a critical indicator of neonatal health and development.
- Understanding factors influencing FGID development is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between various birth weight categories and the incidence of FGIDs in the first year of life.
- To determine if birth weight for gestational age (SGA, AGA, LGA) impacts FGID development.
- To identify specific birth weight parameters linked to FGID risk in neonates.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of a prospective, multicenter cohort study of neonates followed for one year.
- Infants classified by birth weight (ELBW, VLBW, LBW) and by birth weight for gestational age (SGA, AGA, LGA).
- FGIDs diagnosed using Rome III criteria at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of age.
Main Results:
- A high prevalence of FGIDs (76.9%) was observed in the first year of life.
- Infants born extremely low birth weight (ELBW) showed a significantly higher FGID rate (97%) compared to low birth weight (LBW) infants (74%).
- Both large for gestational age (LGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) infants had higher FGID rates (85.4%, 85.6%) than appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants (75.2%).
- SGA was significantly associated with infantile colic on multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
- ELBW, SGA, and LGA neonates exhibit an elevated risk for developing FGIDs.
- Prenatal factors influencing birth weight appear to play a role in the development of infant FGIDs.
- Further research into risk factors can inform targeted approaches for managing FGIDs in infants.
Purpose:
To assess the association between birth weight and the development of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in the first year of life.
Methods:
This is a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort multicenter study including neonates, consecutively enrolled at birth, and followed up for one year. At birth all infants were classified by birth weight as extremely low (ELBW), very low, or low when <1,000, <1,500, and <2,500 g, respectively, and by birth weight for gestational age as appropriate (AGA, weight in the 10-90th percentile), small (SGA, weight <10th percentile), and large (LGA, weight >90th percentile) for gestational age. FGIDs were classified according to the Rome III criteria and assessed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of life.
Results:
Among 1,152 newborns enrolled, 934 (81.1%) completed the study: 302 (32.3%) were preterm, 35 (3.7%) were ELBW, 104 (11.1%) were SGA, 782 (83.7%) were AGA, and 48 (5.1%) were LGA infants. Overall, throughout the first year of life, 718 (76.9%) reported at least one FGID. The proportion of infants presenting with at least one FGID was significantly higher in ELBW (97%) compared to LBW (74%) (p=0.01) and in LGA (85.4%) and SGA (85.6%) compared to AGA (75.2%) (p=0.0001). On multivariate analysis, SGA was significantly associated with infantile colic.
Conclusion:
We observed an increased risk of FGIDs in ELBW, SGA, and LGA neonates. Our results suggest that prenatal factors determining birth weight may influence the development of FGIDs in infants. Understanding the role of all potential risk factors may provide new insights and targeted approaches for FGIDs.
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