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Sex differences in postnatal weight gain trajectories of extremely preterm newborns

Fu-Sheng Chou1, Hung-Wen Yeh2,3

  • 1Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA. FChou@llu.edu.

Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
|May 26, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Sex differences in postnatal weight gain trajectories were observed in extremely preterm newborns (EPNs). While males had higher predicted weights, females showed faster weight increases after term-equivalent age, indicating a sex disparity in growth patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Pediatric Growth and Development
  • Perinatal Medicine

Background:

  • Postnatal growth and sex are critical for extremely preterm newborns' (EPNs) long-term outcomes.
  • The relationship between sex and postnatal growth in EPNs remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess sex differences in weight trajectories of extremely preterm newborns during the first 200 days of life.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized weight data from 4327 EPNs.
  • Employed generalized additive mixed modeling with gestational age and sex as fixed-effects.
  • Analyzed interactions between fixed-effects and postnatal age, including random intercepts and slopes.

Main Results:

  • Male EPNs exhibited higher predicted weight trajectories than females.
  • Weight z-score trajectories decreased comparably in both sexes before term-equivalent age, with females showing faster increases thereafter.
  • While weight gain velocity was similar between sexes, male EPNs had lower velocity compared to Fenton growth chart references, explaining slower z-score increases.

Conclusions:

  • A significant sex disparity exists in the postnatal weight gain trajectories of EPNs.
  • This disparity becomes apparent after extremely preterm newborns reach term-equivalent age.
  • Understanding these sex-specific growth patterns is crucial for optimizing long-term outcomes.
Abstract

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