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Forty years after Dancis: the very-very low birth weight infant grids
D H Adamkin1, R Klingbeil, P Radmacher
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Ky.
Insights
Growth patterns for premature infants weighing less than 1200 grams were evaluated. Critically ill infants receiving parenteral nutrition showed different weight changes compared to Dancis grid predictions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Growth Studies
Background:
- Premature infants, especially those with low birth weights (<1200 gm), exhibit unique growth trajectories.
- Accurate growth assessment is crucial for optimizing nutritional support and clinical management in this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the postnatal body weight changes of low birth weight infants with established growth charts.
- To evaluate the efficacy of parenteral nutrition on infant growth in the early postnatal period.
Main Methods:
- Postnatal growth was monitored for 50 days in 99 infants with birth weights under 1200 gm.
- Two distinct growth curves were generated for comparison against the lowest Dancis grids.
- Infants received parenteral alimentation as a primary source of nutrition.
Main Results:
- Infants with a birth weight around 1000 gm receiving parenteral nutrition closely followed the 1000 gm Dancis grid.
- Infants with a birth weight around 750 gm experienced less weight loss than predicted by the Dancis grid and demonstrated accelerated weight gain.
Conclusions:
- Established growth grids may require adjustments for very low birth weight infants, particularly those requiring intensive nutritional support.
- Parenteral nutrition influences postnatal weight changes in premature infants, necessitating tailored growth monitoring protocols.
Abstract:
Postnatal body weight changes were assessed in 99 infants with birth weights of less than 1200 gm. Growth was monitored during the first 50 postnatal days, and two growth curves were generated for comparison with the lowest Dancis grids. Our critically ill infants, in whom parenteral alimentation was a major source of nutrition, closely paralleled the 1000 gm Dancis grid, whereas our infants of approximately 750 gm birth weight did not lose as much weight as predicted by Dancis and gained weight at a faster rate.