title: [Longitudinal study of the evolution (from birth to 8 years of age) of anthropometric variables in a cohort of very low birth weight infants].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Descriptive anthropometric survey in a cohort of very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) newborns from birth to age 8 years, analyzing the growth characteristics in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective registration of weight and height at birth and age 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 years in a cohort of 170 VLBWI (< 1500 g). Patients were separated into appropriate for gestational age (AGA, n=101) and low birth weight or small for gestational age (SGA, n=69) according to the charts from Carrascosa et al. Anthropometric variables were compared with those from a control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gestational age was 30.4±3.1 weeks. Weight and height at birth were 1182.1± 228.4 g and 38.2± 3.2 cm, respectively. Weight, height and body mass index in both sexes and every considered age were higher (p<0.05) within the control group with respect to VLBWI (AGA and SGA). At age 2, 81.2% and 71% of AGA and SGA (p<0.05) respectively, presented with normal height. At age 8, the height of 8.95% of AGA and 17.4% of SGA infants did not exceed the 2 SD below the average of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VLBWI have a catch-up growth which allows the acquisition of normal height in 87.1% and 78.3% of patients in groups AGA and SGA, respectively, at age 4. Only 8.9% of patients in group AGA did not present catch-up growth at age 8, being the possibility of treatment with growing hormone (GH) not included.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatría. Facultad de medicina. Universidad de Navarra. Unidad de Endocrinología pediátrica. Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra. Servicio Navarro de Salud/Osasunbidea. Pamplona. España.. tduratra@cfnavarra.es.
authors.forename: Teodoro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Durá Travé
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología pediátrica. Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra. Servicio Navarro de Salud/Osasunbidea. Pamplona. España..
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: San Martín García
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología pediátrica. Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra. Servicio Navarro de Salud/Osasunbidea. Pamplona. España..
authors.forename: Maria Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chueca Guindelain
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología pediátrica. Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra. Servicio Navarro de Salud/Osasunbidea. Pamplona. España..
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berrade Zubiri
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies