A Sixteen-year Longitudinal Study of growth of Low Birth Weight
Infants
Peng YM, Feng LY, Guo ZP, Liu XY
Department of Child Health Care,
Children��s Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Objective: The purposes of this study were to explore
and reveal the long-term effect of low birth weight on growth of children
and adolescents. Design is prospective cohort study.
Methods: The body growth of 203 LBW infants (101 small
for date infants and 102 preterm infants) and 71 full-term infants living
in Xu Hui district of Shanghai, born during Jan 1, 1983 and Dec 31, 1983, were
observed from birth to sixteen years.
Children's anthropometry
(weight, length, height, head circumference), were assessed at birth, 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months, 4, 5, 6 and 16 years.
Results: There were significant differences in the mean
weight��height��head circumference in all observing time layers among SFD, preterm
and control groups (P<0.01). All these index showed a rank that the control
group was higher than preterm, and preterm group was higher than SFD��s.
This trend would last to adolescence. The catch-up growth of weight occurred
in postnatal fifth months. The catch-up growth of height and head
circumference occurred in postnatal 9-12 months.
Conclusion: It is very obvious that LBW can affect
children's body growth. Furthermore, this kind of influence may continue to
their adolescence. The negative effect of LBW on body growth of SFD is more
obviously than that of preterm infants.