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Incomplete catch-up growth in low birthweight Chinese infants in Hong Kong
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Insights
Chinese low birthweight infants, particularly those small-for-gestational-age (SGA), show incomplete catch-up growth in length during early childhood. Identifying the causes is crucial for effective interventions in these vulnerable infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Human Growth and Development
Background:
- Low birthweight (LBW) is a significant global health concern, impacting infant development.
- Infants small-for-gestational-age (SGA) often experience growth challenges postnatally.
- Understanding early catch-up growth is vital for identifying potential developmental issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the early catch-up growth patterns in length among Chinese infants born with low birthweight (< 2500 g).
- To compare catch-up growth between infants small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) categories.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal follow-up study of 181 infants born between 1988-1993 in Hong Kong.
- Categorization of infants into SGA (birthweight < -2SDS) and AGA groups.
- Monitoring of linear growth (length) at 6 and 12 months postnatally.
Main Results:
- The SGA group exhibited significantly less catch-up growth in height compared to AGA infants.
- At 12 months, 33-35% of SGA infants remained short, versus 7-12% of AGA infants.
- Postnatal growth curves showed minimal catch-up growth in the SGA cohort compared to the AGA group.
Conclusions:
- Chinese infants born SGA in Hong Kong demonstrate incomplete catch-up growth in early childhood.
- Further research is needed to identify the underlying mechanisms hindering catch-up growth.
- Identifying causative factors is essential for developing targeted interventions to improve growth outcomes.
Objective:
To describe the early catch-up growth in length in Chinese low birthweight (< 2500 g) infants.
Methodology:
The infants (n = 181) were delivered between 1988 and 1993 and followed up at Queen Mary and Tsan Yuk Hospitals, Hong Kong. One third had a birthweight below -2SDS, most of whom were term or close-to-term babies small-for-gestational-age (SGA). The remaining babies were appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) in birthweight, but frequently born prematurely.
Results:
The SGA group did not show a catch-up growth in height comparable to that reported on other recent studies, as 33-35% of the patients were still short at 6 and 12 months (7-12% for the AGA group). When comparing the postnatal mean growth curve of the SGA group with the mean curve of the AGA group there was little sign of catch-up growth.
Conclusions:
The results showed that Hong Kong SGA infants have an incomplete catch-up growth and for successful intervention the causative mechanisms have to be identified.