title: Customized versus population-based growth curves: prediction of low body fat percent at term corrected gestational age following preterm birth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Compare customized versus population-based growth curves for identification of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and body fat percent (BF%) among preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study of 204 preterm infants classified as SGA or appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) by population-based and customized growth curves. BF% was determined by air-displacement plethysmography. Differences between groups were compared using bivariable and multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Customized curves reclassified 30% of the preterm infants as SGA. SGA infants identified by customized method only had significantly lower BF% (13.8 ± 6.0) than the AGA (16.2 ± 6.3, p = 0.02) infants and similar to the SGA infants classified by both methods (14.6 ± 6.7, p = 0.51). Customized growth curves were a significant predictor of BF% (p = 0.02), whereas population-based growth curves were not a significant independent predictor of BF% (p = 0.50) at term corrected gestational age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Customized growth potential improves the differentiation of SGA infants and low BF% compared with a standard population-based growth curve among a cohort of preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. tllaw@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Tameeka L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Lakshmi D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Katikaneni
authors.forename: Sarah N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Jeffrey E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Korte
authors.forename: Myla D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ebeling
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Roger B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Newman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D057238:Growth Charts; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D010991:Plethysmography; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult