Morbidity during the first year of life in small for gestational age infants.
Postneonatal morbidity during infancy was studied in 284 small for gestational age (SGA) and 359 non-SGA term infants. None of these babies had congenital malformations and they were born to para 1 and para 2 mothers. SGA infants had an increased risk (OR: 1.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.6) of being admitted to hospital compared with non-SGA infants. The principal cause was respiratory tract infections. Increased hospitalisation among SGA infants was a factor only if the mother was a smoker-that is, smoked cigarettes at the time of conception. Among subgroups of SGA babies, there was an increased risk for infants of non-repeaters (women without a previous SGA child) (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.4-3.8) and for infants with symmetric (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.3) body proportions compared with non-SGA infants. The results suggest that, beginning in early pregnancy, growth retardation may have long term consequences for subsequent infant morbidity, particularly if the mother is smoker.
Vik
T
T
Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, University of Trondheim, Norway.
Vatten
L
L
Markestad
T
T
Ahlsten
G
G
Jacobsen
G
G
Bakketeig
L S
LS
D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects