Growth charts and long-term sequelae in extreme preterm infants - from full-term age to 10 years

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica Vol. 103; no. 1; pp. 38 - 47
• Main Authors: Horemuzova, Eva, Åmark, Per, Jacobson, Lena, Söder, Olle, Hagenäs, Lars
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Norway Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2014; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Birth Weight; Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Female; Growth Charts; Humans; Infant; Infant, Extremely Premature - growth & development; Infant, Newborn; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; preterm infant; Reference Values; Retrospective Studies; sequelae; Growth charts; sequelae; preterm infant
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/apa.12451

Aim To describe growth pattern from full‐term age to 10 years in infants born before 26 weeks of gestation. Method This retrospective longitudinal cohort contained 123 children from Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, during 1990–2002. Length/height (Ht), weight (Wt) and head circumference (HC) were recorded monthly during the first year, every 3 months until 2 years and yearly thereafter, but HC at 15 months and at median age of 8.1/9.7 years (range 2–14) in boys/girls. Results For boys/girls at birth, the mean Z‐score for Ht was −0.2/−0.2, for Wt 0.0/−0.2 and for HC 0.0/−0.3. At term, the mean Z‐score for Ht was −3.8/−3.1, for Wt −3.0/−2.5 and for HC −1.7/−1.2. At 1 year, the mean Z‐score for Ht was−1.3/−1.3, for Wt −1.9/−1.7 and for HC −1.2/−1.0. At 2 years, the mean Z‐score for Ht was −1.3/−1.1, for Wt −1.6/−1.2 and at 10 years for Ht −0.7/−0.4; that was on average −0.3 below mid‐parental height; for Wt −0.2/−0.2. Long‐term sequelae were found in 48% of the boys and 34% of the girls. Conclusion By 10 years of age, the attained mean Ht was in accordance with their genetic potential and almost half of these children had significant long‐term sequelae.