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Outcome of low birthweight in China: A 16‐year longitudinal study
Author(s) -
Peng Yongmei,
Huang Bin,
Biro Frank,
Feng Lingying,
Guo Zhiping,
Slap Gail
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2005.tb01999.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , small for gestational age , birth weight , low birth weight , intelligence quotient , gestational age , gestation , population , prospective cohort study , cohort study , pregnancy , obstetrics , cognition , psychiatry , environmental health , biology , genetics
Aim: To compare the growth and neurodevelopment of low‐birthweight (LBW) and normal‐birthweight (control) infants born and raised in China. Design: Prospective cohort study. Subjects and setting: 203 LBW (1200–2499 g) and 71 control (2500 g) infants born at two Shanghai hospitals in 1983 did not differ for date of birth, gender, parental occupation, parental weight and age. LBW <10th centile at 37 wk gestation was defined as small for gestational age (SGA, n =102). LBW at <37 wk gestation was defined as preterm ( n =101). Main outcome measures: Weight, height, head circumference, Gesell developmental quotient (DQ), Wechsler intelligence quotient (IQ), and scholastic achievement score. Results : Of the 274 enrolled subjects, 234 (85%) returned at 6 mo, 135 (49%) at 6 y, and 104 (38%) at 16 y. SGA, preterm, and control subjects did not differ in rates of follow‐up or baseline characteristics. However, SGA and preterm were lower than control subjects in weight and head circumference through 16 y, height through 4 y, DQ through 3 y, IQ at 5 and 16 y, and scholastic achievement at 16 y. Catch‐up to growth in the control group, defined as >3rd centile, and normal IQ, defined as 85, were both more common among preterm than SGA subjects. Conclusions: Adolescents in China with birthweights of 1200–2499 g, and particularly those who were SGA, lag behind peers with birthweights >2500 g in physical growth, cognitive capacity, and school achievement. The findings suggest that LBW adolescents in China today represent a population in need of evaluation and support.