A study on catch up growth among low birth weight infants in an urban slum of Kolkata.
OBJECTIVE
To study the catch up growth among low birth weight infants in relation to the normal birth weight counterparts in first six months of age.


METHODS
A longitudinal community based study was done in 2004 -05 in an urban slum of Chetla, Kolkata among 126 singleton live born babies. Growth pattern of these babies was followed up at 15+/-5 days interval by house visit till six months of age.


RESULTS
The incidence of low birth weight babies was 28.6%. 86.1% LBW infants caught up in length at 3rd month, 63.9% in chest circumference at 4th month, 66.7% in head circumference at 5th month, while 72.2% in weight at 6th month. Regular growth monitoring is essential for LBW babies to detect signs of growth faltering at the earliest.
Paul
B
B
Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, India. dr_bobbypaul@rediffmail.com
Saha
I
I
Dasgupta
A
A
Chaudhuri
R N
RN
D002508:Cephalometry; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015430:Weight Gain