Postnatal growth of children born small for gestational age.
A large, population-based representative study (n = 3656) has shown that the vast majority of healthy, full-term, singleton infants born small for gestational age (SGA) achieve catch-up growth during the first 2 years of life. Indeed, most of the increase in height SDS occurs by 2 months of age. Children born SGA who do not show postnatal catch-up growth and so remain short at 2 years of age, have a higher risk of short stature (< -2 SDS) in later life, with a relative risk at 18 years of age of 5.2 if born light and of 7.1 if born short.
Albertsson-Wikland
K
K
Department of Pediatrics, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
Karlberg
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development*