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Updated: Aug 1, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
[Follow-up study on physical and mental development in small-for-gestational age infants]
1Naval General Hospital of PLA, Beijing.
Insights
Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants show physical and developmental delays by 40 weeks. Cord serum insulin levels can predict this intrauterine growth retardation and subsequent developmental deficits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Development
- Neonatal Research
- Growth Monitoring
Context:
- Follow-up study comparing 35 small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and 35 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants.
- Exclusion criteria included congenital abnormalities, intrauterine infection, and neonatal asphyxia.
- SGA and AGA groups were comparable in maternal education, infant sex, illness, and feeding history.
Purpose:
- To assess physical and mental development in SGA infants at 40 weeks.
- To identify potential predictors of developmental outcomes in SGA infants.
- To investigate the correlation between cord serum insulin levels and infant development.
Summary:
- SGA infants exhibited significantly lower body weight, height, head circumference, Kaup index, and development quotient (DQ) at 40 weeks compared to AGA infants.
- SGA infants showed particular deficits in language and receptive development.
- Cord serum insulin levels demonstrated a significant positive correlation with follow-up body weight, height, and DQ.
Impact:
- Establishes that intrauterine growth retardation leads to physical development delays at 40 weeks.
- Proposes cord serum insulin level as a predictive marker for developmental delay in SGA infants.
- Highlights the need for early monitoring and intervention for SGA infants to address developmental deficits.
Abstract:
A follow-up study on physical and mental development was carried out in 35 small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and 35 appropriated-for-gestational age (AGA) infants. Excluded for congenital abnormality, intrauterine infection, and neonatal asphyxia SGA and AGA infants were similar in maternal education level, infant sex, illness, and feeding history. The results revealed that the body weight (8.09 +/- 0.73kg), height (69.55 +/- 2.49 cm), head circumference (43.27 +/- 1.67cm), Kaup index (16.17 +/- 1.05), and development quotient (96.37 +/- 5.76, Gesell diagnostic method) level at 40 weeks of age in SGA infants was lower than that in AGA infants (P < 0.001), and the development quotient (DQ) in SGA infants was especially low in language and receptive regions. Cord serum insulin level was significantly correlated with follow-up body weight, height, and DQ level (P < 0.01). This article proposed that infants with intrauterine growth retardation have a physical development delay at 40 weeks of age, and which could be predicted by measuring cord insulin level.
