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A comparative study of postnatal anthropometric growth in very preterm infants and intrauterine growth

Fu-Sheng Chou1,2, Hung-Wen Yeh3,4, Reese H Clark5

  • 1Department of Neonatology, Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center, Riverside, CA, USA. Fu-Sheng.X.Chou@kp.org.

Nature Communications
|September 19, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Postnatal growth in very preterm infants differs significantly from intrauterine growth. New models show distinct growth phases, offering a practical tool for clinical assessment and nutrition research.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Pediatric Growth and Development
  • Biostatistics

Background:

  • Current growth references for very preterm infants often rely on birth measurements, assuming they reflect intrauterine growth.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics' goal of approximating intrauterine growth rates for these infants remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop models characterizing postnatal growth patterns in very preterm infants.
  • To compare these postnatal growth patterns with intrauterine growth.
  • To assess the attainability of intrauterine growth rate approximation in very preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized real-world measurement data from very preterm infants born between 2010 and 2020.
  • Developed models to analyze weight, length, and head circumference growth rates.
  • Compared postnatal growth trajectories with established intrauterine growth data.

Main Results:

  • Identified three distinct phases of postnatal weight growth, not observed in intrauterine growth.
  • Postnatal length and head circumference growth showed an initial slow rate followed by acceleration.
  • Demonstrated significant differences between overall postnatal and intrauterine growth patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Postnatal growth in very preterm infants is fundamentally different from intrauterine growth.
  • While not representing optimal growth, developed postnatal growth models are valuable for clinical assessment and nutrition research.

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