Parental and perinatal factors affecting childhood anthropometry of very-low-birth-weight premature infants: a population-based survey.
BACKGROUND
The perinatal-neonatal course of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants might affect their childhood growth. We evaluated the effect of parental anthropometry and perinatal and neonatal morbidity of VLBW neonates on their childhood growth.


METHODS
We obtained parental anthropometry, height and weight at age 6-10.5 years of 334 children born as VLBW infants. Parental, perinatal and neonatal data of these children were tested for association with childhood anthropometry.


RESULTS
(1) Maternal and paternal weight standard deviation score (SDS) and discharge weight (DW) SDS were associated with childhood weight SDS (R(2)= 0.111, p < 0.00001); (2) Maternal and paternal height SDS, corrected gestational age (GA) at discharge, maternal assisted reproduction and SGA status were associated with childhood height SDS (R(2)= 0.208, p < 0.00001); (3) paternal weight SDS, DW SDS and surfactant therapy were associated with childhood body mass index (BMI) SDS (R(2)= 0.096, p < 0.00001). 31.1% of VLBW infants had DW SDS < -1.88, and are to be considered small for gestational age ('SGA'). One quarter of these infants did not catch up by age 6-10.5 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Childhood anthropometry of VLBW infants depends on parental anthropometry, postnatal respiratory morbidity and growth parameters at birth and at discharge. Almost one-third of VLBW premature infants had growth restriction at discharge from neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a quarter of whom did not catch up by age 6-10.5 years.
Makhoul
Imad R
IR
Department of Neonatology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel. makhoul@rambam.health.gov.il
Awad
Eman
E
Tamir
Ada
A
Weintraub
Zalman
Z
Rotschild
Avi
A
Bader
David
D
Yurman
Shmuel
S
Reich
Dan
D
Bental
Yoram
Y
Jammalieh
Jeryes
J
Smolkin
Tatiana
T
Sujov
Polo
P
Hochberg
Ze'ev
Z
D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D010290:Parents; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors