Growth and nutritional status at corrected term gestational age in very low birth weight infants.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the growth and nutritional status at term (39-41 weeks) corrected gestational age in VLBW infants and to study the predictors of malnutrition.


METHODS
This Cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care perinatal centre with level III NICU. All Inborn VLBW infants who were discharged alive from the hospital during the study period from January 2008 through June 2009 were included in this study. Relevant perinatal, clinical and anthropometry data were collected at birth, at hospital discharge and at term gestation. Primary outcome was considered as Z scores of weight, occipitofrontal circumference, length and predictors of postnatal malnutrition (z-score for weight ≤2SD) at term gestation.


RESULTS
The mean gestational age and the mean birth weight of study subjects were 31.03 ± 2.18 weeks and 1195.28 ± 191.25 g respectively. Twenty-six (15%) infants had birth weight less than 1,000 g and 65 (37.4%) infants were of gestation less than 31 weeks. The mean weight, the mean length and mean occipitofrontal circumference (OFC) at term gestation were 2367.32 ± 521 g, 43.72 ± 3.3 cm and 32.65 ± 1.6 cm respectively. The mean z scores for weight, length and OFC at term gestation was -1.66 ± 1.2, -1.98 ± 1.3 and -0.48 ± 0.7 respectively. Forty three percent (n = 75) infants were malnourished. Birth weight (p = 0.005), gestational age (p = 0.001), z-score at birth (p = 0.001), female sex (p = 0.004), duration of oxygen (p = 0.008), duration of hospitalization (p = 0.005) and average post discharge weight gain per day (p < 0.001) predicted malnutrition.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a high prevalence of postnatal malnutrition in VLBW infants. Poor intrauterine growth, female sex, lower birth weight, lower gestation, infant sickness and poor post-discharge weight gain contribute significantly to postnatal malnutrition.
Department of Pediatrics, Fernandez Hospital, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500001, India.
Ashish
A
Jaiswal
Anupama
A
Reddy
Pramod
P
Gaddam
Srinivas
S
Murki
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
Arch Dis Child. 1994 Oct;71(4):288-90
7979518
Indian J Pediatr. 2002 Jun;69(6):485-8
12139133
Indian J Pediatr. 1983 May-Jun;50(404):279-83
6668034
Indian J Pediatr. 2002 May;69(5):401-4
12061673
Lancet. 1990 Jun 23;335(8704):1477-81
1972430
J Perinatol. 2006 Jul;26(7):436-42
16801958
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996 Nov;150(11):1122-9
8904851
Pediatrics. 2001 Aug;108(2):407-15
11483807
J Pediatr (Rio J). 2005 Jan-Feb;81(1):34-40
15742084
Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1992 Apr;99(4):275-6
1581269
Indian Pediatr. 1991 Mar;28(3):281-3
1937704
Pediatrics. 1999 Aug;104(2 Pt 1):280-9
10429008
Paediatr Child Health. 2007 Jan;12(1):22-8
19030335
Pediatrics. 1971 May;47(5):826-30
5573867
Indian J Pediatr. 2008 May;75(5):479-87
18537010
Pediatrics. 2003 Jul;112(1 Pt 1):e30-8
12837903