Related Experiment Videos
[Growth and development of children with low birth weight at their first birthday]
T P Teles1, T Rodrigues, A Pereira
1Serviço de Ginecologia e Obstetríca, Hospital Distrital de Famalicão.
Insights
Low birthweight infants face higher risks of infant mortality, growth, and developmental delays by age one. Prenatal and postnatal factors significantly influence developmental outcomes, highlighting opportunities for prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Biology
- Public Health
Context:
- Prospective cohort study evaluating low birthweight impacts.
- Data collected from infants born between March 1992 and March 1993.
- Comparison between 89 low birthweight and 110 normal birthweight infants.
Purpose:
- To assess the effect of low birthweight on infant growth and development at one year.
- To identify risk factors associated with developmental delays in infants.
Summary:
- Low birthweight infants exhibited significantly higher infant mortality rates (56 vs 9 per 1000).
- Growth and developmental delays were substantially more frequent in low birthweight babies (32% vs 4% and 30% vs 11%, respectively).
- Normal birthweight infants showed superior mean values for weight, length, and head circumference at one year.
Impact:
- Prenatal factors (pregnancy planning, maternal health, gestational age) significantly influence development.
- Postnatal exposures (home environment, nutrition, infant health) are strongly linked to developmental delays.
- Findings underscore the importance of addressing prenatal and postnatal factors for preventing developmental delays.
Abstract:
The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effect of low birthweight on growth and development at one year of age, in a cohort of infants born between March 1992 and March 1993 at Hospital de Famalicão. Information was obtained from 199 children, 89 low birthweight cases and 110 born with a normal (> or = 2500 g) weight. The infant mortality rate (56 vs 9 per 1000), the frequency of growth (32% vs 4%, p = 0.0000003) or developmental delay (30% vs 11%, p = 0.002) were significantly higher in low birthweight babies. However, all cases of developmental delay corresponded to minor impairments. At age one, children born with a normal weight presented mean higher values for weight (10.0 +/- 1.1 kg vs 9.2 +/- 1.2 kg; p = 0.000005), length (74.2 +/- 7.1 cm vs 72.9 +/- 3.1 cm, p = 0.0006) and head circumference (46.4 +/- 1.9 cm vs 45.8 +/- 1.6 cm; p = 0.004). Prenatal characteristics such as the planning of the pregnancy, gestational birth weight, diseases during the pregnancy, gestational age or twining, significantly affected development at one year of age, showing that delays can be prevented before a child is born. In addition, post-natal exposures, such as home conditions, energy and nutrient intake, or coping with vaccination schedules and the occurrence of diseases during the neonatal and post-neonatal periods were significantly associated to developmental delay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)