title: Being born large for gestational age is associated with earlier pubertal take-off and longer growth duration: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Perinatal factors seem to influence the onset of puberty, but there is limited information on the potential effect of large size at birth on pubertal growth. This study evaluated pubertal growth in children born large for gestational age (LGA) compared to children born appropriate for gestational age (AGA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal growth data collected from 70 children - 40 AGA and 30 LGA - were analysed. The ages at take-off, peak height velocity, final height and pubertal growth spurts were calculated using the Preece-Baines model I.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Large for gestational age children showed an earlier age at take-off compared to AGA children (10.1 ± 1.2 versus 11.0 ± 1.4 years, p = 0.007), whereas the age at peak height velocity and at final height was similar. LGA children showed a longer growth spurt duration (2.5 ± 1 versus 1.5 ± 1.2 years, p < 0.001) and total pubertal duration (5.3 ± 1.2 versus 4.6 ± 1.2 years, p = 0.036) than AGA children. Results were similar when stratified by sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Being born LGA was associated with an earlier pubertal take-off and longer growth duration. These unique findings, due to the lack of studies on pubertal growth patterns in LGA children, might lead the way to novel research and a different approach to LGA children at the onset of pubertal growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Giovanni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy.|Aging and Translational Medicine Research Center, CeSI-MeT, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: M Loredana
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Marcovecchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chiavaroli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Giorgis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy.|Aging and Translational Medicine Research Center, CeSI-MeT, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy.|Aging and Translational Medicine Research Center, CeSI-MeT, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Growth patterns; Large for gestational age; Longitudinal study; Perinatal factors; Puberty