title: Growth increments in preterm low risk infants.
abstract: Thirty five surviving low risk vaginally born preterm infants were followed for four years. Weekly increments for weight, length and head circumference were obtained. The implications relating to growth velocity from gestational age, fetal acidosis and neurodevelopmental disorders as well as sex, feeding habits and mothers' educational level were studied. A significant difference for weight was found between infants with and without a neurodevelopmental disorder during the first 7 months. Infants with fetal acidosis (scalp pH less than 7.2) or a neurodevelopmental disorder have lower increments for weight and head circumference during the first 3 months than infants without fetal acidosis or a neurodevelopmental disorder, but they demonstrated the highest increments for weight between 3-7 months of age. Mean growth increments were high for infants of well educated mothers, but the growth increments for infants of less educated mothers did not differ from the total preterm group. Breastfed infants between birth and 3 months of age show high increments for weight. Boys have a better mean increment for weight than girls between birth and 3 months of age. The opposite was found for length. The group differences are not significant and too small for a definite statement, but they do reveal small differences during early infancy that may prove helpful in the management of infants at risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Holmqvist
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010500:Perinatology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors