Related Experiment Videos
Children born small for gestational age: do they catch up?
A C Hokken-Koelega1, M A De Ridder, R J Lemmen
1Department of Pediatrics, Sophia Children's Hospital/Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Most healthy small for gestational age (SGA) infants achieve catch-up growth by age two. Birth length SDS predicts catch-up in premature SGA infants, while birth weight SDS is better for full-term SGA infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Small for gestational age (SGA) infants are born with birth length below the third percentile (P3) for their gestational age.
- Postnatal growth and factors influencing catch-up growth in healthy SGA infants are crucial for long-term outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the postnatal growth of SGA infants over the first two years of life.
- To identify predictive factors for achieving catch-up growth (height >= P3) in SGA infants.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 724 healthy SGA infants (423 premature, 301 full-term) was studied over eight years.
- Infants with known causes of growth retardation were excluded.
- Catch-up growth to height >= P3 by two years of age was assessed.
Main Results:
- Approximately 85% of healthy SGA infants achieved catch-up growth (height >= P3) by two years.
- Catch-up growth rates were similar between premature (82.5%) and full-term (87.5%) SGA infants.
- Birth length SDS was a better predictor for catch-up in premature SGA infants, whereas birth weight SDS was superior for full-term SGA infants.
Conclusions:
- The majority of healthy SGA infants experience significant catch-up growth within the first two years.
- Predictive factors for catch-up growth differ between premature and full-term SGA infants, highlighting the importance of individualized assessment.
Abstract:
Postnatal growth of 724 (423 premature, 301 full-term) small for gestational age infants (SGA, birth length less than the third length percentile (P3) for gestational age) was studied for the first 2 y of life. The study group consisted of all SGA infants who had been admitted over a period of 8 y at the Departments of Neonatology of three University Hospitals in The Netherlands with exclusion of infants with well defined causes for growth retardation, such as chromosomal disorders, syndromes, severe malformations, or complications during the neonatal period or later on. The aim of the study was to describe postnatal growth of SGA infants and to find predictive factors for catch-up growth > or = P3 during the first 2 y of life. The majority (around 85%) of the healthy SGA infants showed catch-up growth to a height > or = P3 during the first 2 y of life. The percentage of premature SGA infants with catch-up growth > or = P3 at 2 y of age (82.5%) was not significantly different from that of full-term SGA infants (87.5%). Birth length SDS was more sensitive than birth weight SDS in predicting catch-up > or = P3 in premature SGA infants. In contrast, birth weight SDS was the best predictor for catch-up > or = P3 in full-term SGA infants. Gestational age, multiple birth, and sex were not significantly associated with catch-up in height > or = P3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)