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Published on: December 31, 2015
Growth patterns of preterm infants in Korea
Joohee Lim1, So Jin Yoon1, Soon Min Lee1
1Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Postnatal growth in preterm infants remains a challenge despite improved neonatal care. Standardized growth assessments and early interventions are crucial for optimizing outcomes and preventing long-term developmental issues.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Growth and Development
- Public Health
Background:
- Neonatal care and nutrition advancements have improved preterm infant growth, yet challenges persist.
- Accurate growth assessments using standardized references are vital for interpreting intrauterine and postnatal growth patterns.
- Early life growth significantly impacts later life outcomes, necessitating refinement in addressing postnatal growth failure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of standardized growth assessments for preterm infants.
- To emphasize the need for optimizing postnatal growth to improve long-term outcomes.
- To underscore the link between postnatal growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on preterm infant growth.
- Analysis of factors influencing intrauterine and postnatal growth patterns.
- Discussion of the impact of growth on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Main Results:
- Catch-up growth primarily occurs before discharge and up to 24 months.
- Very low birth weight infants in Korea exhibit retarded growth later in life.
- Poor postnatal growth is a predictor of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Standardized growth assessments and monitoring are essential for preterm infants.
- Early identification and intervention for growth failure can optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Improved monitoring and early intervention contribute to better public health for preterm infants.
Abstract:
With advancements in neonatal care and nutrition, the postnatal growth of preterm infants has improved; however, it remains an issue. Accurate assessments of growth using a standardized reference are needed to interpret the intrauterine and postnatal growth patterns of preterm infants. Growth in the earlier periods of life can contribute to later outcomes, and the refinement of postnatal growth failure is needed to optimize outcomes. Catchup growth occurs mainly before discharge and until 24 months of age, and very low birth weight infants in Korea achieve retarded growth later in life. Knowing an infant's perinatal history, reducing morbidity rates during admission, and performing regular monitoring after discharge are required. Preterm infants with a lower birth weight or who were small for gestational age are at increased risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Furthermore, poor postnatal growth is predictive of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Careful monitoring and early intervention will contribute to better development outcomes and national public health improvements.
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