title: Catch-down growth during infancy of children born small (SGA) or appropriate (AGA) for gestational age with short-statured parents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We analyzed postnatal growth in children with familial short stature (FSS) with regard to small (SGA) or appropriate (AGA) for gestational age status at birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 96 otherwise healthy short-statured children (58 males; SGA: n = 41, AGA: n = 55). At least one of the parents was short-statured. Cross-sectional data for length/height and weight for the first 4 years of age were collected retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AGA children had a mean length of 0.09 +/- 1.02 standard deviation score (SDS) at birth, -1.57 +/- 1.16 SDS after 1 year of age, and -2.36 +/- 0.72 SDS after 4 years. SGA children had a mean length of -2.04 +/- 1.06 SDS at birth, -2.70 +/- 1.12 SDS at 1 year of age, and -3.05+/-0.86 SDS at 4 years. The loss of length SDS within the first 2 years of life was greater in AGA than in SGA children. SGA children were significantly shorter than AGA children at all of the study points (p <.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with an FSS background born AGA show catch-down growth to their lower familial range during the first 2 years of life. SGA children did not catch up to their AGA peers at any time.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas M K
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Völkl
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beier
authors.forename: Diemud
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simm
authors.forename: Helmuth G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Dörr
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents