Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants born at term: growth and development during the first year of life.
BACKGROUND
The purpose was to compare growth patterns and psychomotor development of healthy small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and non-SGA infants, and identify factors predictive of outcome at 13 months of age.


METHODS
A total of 265 SGA infants and 329 non-SGA controls were identified from a multicenter cohort of 5722 para 1 and 2 women who had been followed during pregnancy. The infants were examined at 2 days and at 13 months of age. Psychomotor development at 13 months was assessed with The Bayley Scale of Infant Development.


RESULTS
The SGA infants showed partial catch-up growth, but had still lower (mean +/- SEM, p < 0.0001) weight (9750 +/- 65 vs 10505 +/- 67 g), crown-heel length (75.9 +/- 0.2 vs 77.5 +/- 0.2 cm) and head circumference (46.9 +/- 0.1 vs 47.7 +/- 0.1 cm) than the non-SGA infants at 13 months. The SGA children scored equally well on the motor (PDI 106.8 +/- 1.0 vs 107.2 +/- 0.8) but lower on the mental scale (MDI 112.1 +/- 0.8 vs 116.5 +/- 0.7, p < 0.0001) of the Bayley Scale, and the asymmetric SGA scored lower than the symmetric SGA infants (MDI 110.2 +/- 1.3 vs 113.3 +/- 0.9, p = 0.05). In a multivariate regression analysis the parents' growth parameters had the greatest effect on growth measures at 13 months while education and maternal smoking had no significant effect. SGA vs non-SGA status had the greatest effect on growth velocities during infancy. For mental development only SGA vs non-SGA status and the mothers' education made significant contributions, but only accounted for 6% of the variance.


CONCLUSIONS
The negative impact of intrauterine factors on growth are partly abolished by catch-up growth during infancy, and growth parameters at one year of age are mostly determined by genetic factors even in SGA infants. Decreased intrauterine growth may possibly have a negative effect on brain growth and mental developmental potential.
Markestad
T
T
Department of Pediatrics, University of Bergen, Norway.
Vik
T
T
Ahlsten
G
G
Gebre-Medhin
M
M
Skjaerven
R
R
Jacobsen
G
G
Hoffman
H J
HJ
Bakketeig
L S
LS
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002657:Child Development; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development*; D007360:Intelligence; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology