title: Growth patterns of large, small, and appropriate for gestational age infants: impacts of long-term breastfeeding: a retrospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In several studies, since high and low birth weights are demonstrated as associated with obesity in childhood, these values should be followed up and documented carefully.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to demonstrate the variation on body mass index outcomes of large (LGA), small (SGA), appropriate (AGA) for gestational age infants from birth to the end of fourth year of age and the effects of breastfeeding duration on these outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred and seven infants were recruited in the study (304AGA, 85 LGA, 18 SGA infants). LGA was frequent in boys and SGA in girls (p = 0.001). The mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus did have LGA infants (10.0% vs. 3.3%) (p = 0.022). The SGA infants performed rapid catch-up growth in the second month while the LGA infants performed catch-down growth in the ninth month. After the first 4 months, there was no difference on the values of BMI depending on breastfeeding time, less or more than 4 months, on the basis of the AGA and LGA infants. However, the body mass index (BMI) of LGA infants breastfed more than 12 months were not different from the AGA; unless the breastfeeding ceased earlier, the means of BMI remained significantly higher until 3 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consequently, long duration of breastfeeding might protect LGA infants from childhood obesity risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: M Orhun
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Çamurdan
authors.forename: Aysu Duyan
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Çamurdan
authors.forename: Selda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Beyazova
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002657:Child Development; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology