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Preterm appropriate for gestational age infants: size at birth explains subsequent growth
Author(s) -
Funkquist EL,
Tuvemo T,
Jonsson B,
Serenius F,
Nyqvist KH
Publication year - 2010
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.1651-2227.2010.01966.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gestational age , breastfeeding , birth weight , pediatrics , growth chart , obstetrics , head circumference , medical record , low birth weight , small for gestational age , hospital discharge , neonatal intensive care unit , pregnancy , surgery , genetics , biology
Aim: The aim was to evaluate growth and breastfeeding up to 18 months corrected age (CA) among preterm appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants whose mothers initiated breastfeeding during the infants’ hospital stay. Methods: One hundred and twenty‐seven preterm AGA infants with a median birth weight of 2320 (769–3250) g and gestational age 34.29 (25.00–35.86) weeks were evaluated up to a CA of 18 months. A retrospective, descriptive and comparative design was used. Data were obtained by chart review of hospital medical records and a questionnaire completed by the mothers. Results: The changes in standard deviation scores (SDS) during the infants’ hospital stay were −0.9 for weight, −0.3 for length and −0.5 for head circumference (HC). Infants with higher SDS at birth showed more negative changes from birth to discharge. Median increments in SDS from discharge to a CA of 2 months were as high as, or higher than, the loss from birth to discharge. Conclusion: Preterm AGA infants with higher SDS for weight, length and HC at birth are at higher risk of inadequate growth during their hospital stay.