Developmental trajectories of motor function in term infants and very-low-birth-weight preterm infants during the first year of life

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare somatic growth, lung function, and level of physical activity in schoolchildren who had been very-low-birth-weight preterm infants (VLBWPIs) or normal-birth-weight full-term infants. Methods: We recruited two groups of schoolchildren between 8 and 11 years of age residing in the study catchment area: those who had been VLBWPIs (birth weight < 1,500 g); and those who had been normal-birth-weight full-term infants (controls, birth weight ≥ 2,500 g). Anthropometric and spirometric data were collected from the schoolchildren, who also completed a questionnaire regarding their physical activity. In addition, data regarding the perinatal and neonatal period were collected from the medical records of the VLBWPIs. Results: Of the 93 schoolchildren screened, 48 and 45 were in the VLBWPI and control groups, respectively. No significant differences were found between the groups regarding anthropometric characteristics, nutritional status, or pulmonary function. No associations were found between perinatal/neonatal variables and lung function parameters in the VLBWPI group. Although the difference was not significant, the level of physical activity was slightly higher in the VLBWPI group than in the control group. Conclusions: Among the schoolchildren evaluated here, neither growth nor lung function appear to have been affected by prematurity birth weight, or level of physical activity.

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Stranger sociability in preterm infants with very low birth weight and term infants

Physiotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.physio.2015.03.3432 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 101 ◽

pp. e602-e603

Author(s):

W.C. Huang ◽

W.S. Hsieh ◽

C.H. Hsu ◽

Y.T. Yu ◽

Y.C. Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Low Birth Weight ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Very Low Birth Weight ◽

Term Infants

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First-year growth of 834 preterm infants in a Chinese population: a single-center study

BMC Pediatrics ◽

10.1186/s12887-019-1752-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ying Deng ◽

Fan Yang ◽

Dezhi Mu

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Low Birth Weight ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

First Year ◽

Poor Growth ◽

Vlbw Infants ◽

Catch Up ◽

First Year Of Life ◽

Prevalence Of Anemia

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to follow the growth and hematological indicators of preterm infants during their first year. Methods Neonates below 37 gestational weeks had routine follow-ups up through 1 year from January 2012 to December 2015 at West China 2nd University Hospital, Sichuan University. Weight, length and head circumference (HC) were measured monthly during the first 6 months, followed by monitoring every second month until 12 months. The catch-up growth defined as a gain of Z-score > 0.67 according to previous study. All preterm infants were prescribed iron prophylaxis based on national guideline. The hemoglobin concentration was examined at 6 and 12 months. Results Altogether, 132 very-low-birth-weight (VLBW), 504 low-birth-weight (LBW) and 198 normal-birth-weight (NBW) infants were followed. The rates of catch-up growth for weight, length and HC 12 months of corrected age (CA) were 22.6, 29.1 and 14.6%, respectively. SGA and VLBW infants showed higher catch-up growth rates. The overall prevalence of anemia was 6.8% at 6 months and 7.8% at 12 months. The Z-scores for weight-for-length, length and HC were lower in the VLBW and SGA preterm infant groups than in the other preterm groups throughout the first year of life. The incidences of stunting, microcephaly and wasting changed from 5, 1.3 and 3.7% to 2, 1.1, 0.9 and 2.4%, respectively, during the first year. However, the incidences of wasting and stunting were higher for the VLBW infants than for the LBW and NBW infants at 12 months (9.3% vs. 1.4%, p < 0.01; 9.3% vs. 1%, p < 0.01,respectively; 4.7% vs. 0.8%, p < 0.01, 4.7% vs. 0%, p < 0.01,respectively). Similar results were observed between SGA and AGA infants (8.7% vs. 1.5%, p < 0.01; 5.8% vs. 0.4%, p < 0.01). Logistic regression revealed SGA and VLBW as risk factors for poor growth (WLZ < -2SD) at 12 months (OR = 5.5, 95% CI: 2.1–14.8, p < 0.01: OR = 4.8, 95% CI: 1.8–12.8, p < 0.01, respectively). Conclusion The VLBW and SGA preterm infants showed significant catch-up growth during their first year of life. However, SGA and VLBW were risk factors for poor growth during the preterm infants’ first year of life. Prophylactic iron supplementation in preterm infants appears to reduce the prevalence of anemia.

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