[Postnatal growth in very low birth weight infants: assessment with a new somatometric index].
OBJECTIVE
We have studied the postnatal growth of very low birth weight infants by using a differential index in reference to intrauterine growth evaluated by means of Lubchenko and Usher graphs.


METHODS
We analyzed the postnatal growth between birth and hospital discharge of 194 infants with birth weights less than 1500 g. No selection was made according to pathology and those newborns who died are treated as missing values. The differential index was calculated as the percentage deviation of the studied parameter and its 10th percentile and the range between the 10th and 90th percentiles.


RESULTS
The weight differential index decreased between birth and hospital discharge (20.8 +/- 33.3 versus -10.03 +/- 30.6, t = 16.97, p < 0.001), as well as that of the height differential index (30.9 +/- 39.1 versus -10.05 +/- 44.35, t = 5.65, p < 0.001), with that of cephalic growth being unchanged (23.2 +/- 43.2 versus 40.4 +/- 35.4, t = -2.29, p = NS). Newborns included in the early discharge program had a worse differential index at the final discharge than at early discharge (-19.1 +/- 27.9 versus -9.8 +/- 22.2, t = -6.1, p < 0.001). Height and cephalic growth was better at the final hospital discharge (-6.6 +/- 46.1 versus 22.7 +/- 26.1, t = -2.8, p < 0.05; 28.8 +/- 37.7 versus 50.1 +/- 27.5, t = -3.48, p < 0.01).
Domínguez Ortega
F
F
Servicio de Neonatología, Hospital Materno-Infantil, Las Palmas.
Cidras Pidre
M
M
González Azpeitia
G
G
D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002508:Cephalometry; D002657:Child Development; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
Crecimiento postnatal de los recién nacidos de muy bajo peso: valoración mediante un nuevo índice somatométrico.