Related Experiment Videos
Catch-up growth in very-low-birth-weight infants. Clinical correlates
Insights
Catch-up growth is often suboptimal in very-low-birth-weight infants. Factors like birth weight and neonatal complications significantly impact growth outcomes in appropriate-for-gestational-age infants, while birth weight and social class are key for small-for-gestational-age infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants often experience growth challenges post-discharge.
- Catch-up growth is crucial for long-term health outcomes in preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical correlates of catch-up growth in VLBW infants.
- To identify factors associated with suboptimal growth in both appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) VLBW infants.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up of 182 VLBW infants until 33 months corrected age.
- Categorization of infants based on weight for gestational age (AGA vs. SGA) and growth status (subnormal vs. appropriate).
Main Results:
- A significant proportion of AGA VLBW infants (up to 46%) and SGA VLBW infants (up to 91%) exhibited subnormal growth at various corrected ages.
- In AGA infants, poor catch-up growth correlated with lower birth weight, gestational age, neonatal complications, poor head growth, and chronic sequelae.
- In SGA infants, poor catch-up growth was associated with birth weight, multiple birth, and social class.
Conclusions:
- Catch-up growth remains a challenge for many VLBW infants, persisting into early childhood.
- Identifying specific correlates allows for targeted interventions to improve growth trajectories in VLBW populations.
Abstract:
Clinical correlates of catch-up growth were documented in 182 very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants (less than 1.5 kg) followed up prospectively until a corrected age of 33 months. At birth, 147 infants had weights appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and 35 were small for gestational age (SGA). The infants in each group were categorized as small if body weight was 2 SDs below the mean for age or appropriate if body weight was within 2 SDs of the mean at birth and at corrected ages of 40 weeks and 8, 21, and 33 months. Of the 147 AGA infants, 67 (46%) weighed less than 2 SDs of the mean for age at a corrected age of 40 weeks, 40 (27%) at 8 months, 28 (19%) at 21 months, and 25 (17%) at 33 months. Of the 35 SGA infants, 32 (91%) had subnormal weight at 40 weeks, 17 (49%) at 8 months and 21 months, and 16 (46%) at 33 months. Significant correlates of poor catch-up growth in the AGA group were birth weight, gestational age, severity of neonatal complications, poor neonatal head growth, and chronic physical and neurologic sequelae. In the infants in the SGA group, the correlates of poor catch-up growth were birth weight, multiple birth, and social class.