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Growth of 519 small for gestational age infants during the first two years of life
Insights
Small for gestational age (SGA) infants experienced varied growth. Maternal smoking impacted growth in both AGA and SGA infants, with some severely SGA infants showing persistent low weight at 24 months.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Small for gestational age (SGA) infants are born below the 10th percentile for birth weight.
- Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is a significant concern affecting infant development.
- Maternal smoking is a known risk factor for poor intrauterine growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physical growth patterns of SGA infants.
- To assess the impact of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) severity on long-term growth.
- To examine the influence of maternal smoking on infant growth in both appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and SGA groups.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study of 519 SGA infants and comparison groups of appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants.
- Infant growth was tracked up to 24 months of age.
- Data included birth weight, Ponderal Index (PI), head circumference, and maternal smoking status.
Main Results:
- Term SGA infants with low Ponderal Index (Type II IUGR) showed better growth (height, head circumference) at 24 months compared to Type I.
- Maternal smoking was associated with smaller infant size in both AGA and SGA groups.
- 26% of severely SGA infants remained below the 2.5th percentile weight at 24 months despite catch-up growth.
Conclusions:
- The degree of IUGR influences physical growth in term SGA infants.
- Maternal smoking negatively affects infant growth, independent of SGA status.
- A significant proportion of severely SGA infants experience persistent growth deficits.
Abstract:
The physical growth of 519 small for gestational age infants (SGA), with a birth weight below the 10th percentile on our own growth curve, born in the region of University Central Hospital of Turku during the period June 1, 1981-May 31, 1982, was studied. The study population consists of 4,517 term, appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants, 488 term SGA infants, 320 preterm AGA infants and 31 preterm SGA infants. The degree of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) seemed to have an effect on physical growth in term SGA infants. Those term SGA infants with a low Ponderal Index (PI) (type II) were taller and had a larger head circumference at the age of 24 months than term SGA infants with adequate PI (type I). Among the preterm SGA infants the degree of IUGR seemed to have no effect on later growth. Smoking is still one of the main risk factors associated with poor intrauterine growth. In this study we also found that smoking has an effect on later growth; the children of smoking mothers were smaller than those of non-smoking mothers in the AGA group. Among the SGA infants the infants of non-smoking mothers were bigger than those of smoking mothers. This difference could be explained by other factors associated with SGA. We found that in spite of the catch-up growth during the first months, 26% of the severely SGA infants (birth weight below the 2.5th percentile) still had a weight below the 2.5th percentile at the age of 24 months.