Effects of prematurity and dysmaturity on growth at age 5 years

Abstract

Forty-two term and 106 preterm appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and 43 term and 31 preterm small for gestational age (SGA) children were observed from birth to age 5 years. Parents' weight and height were also measured in 193 subjects including 97 couples. The percentage of short children was higher in SGA (17%) than in AGA (3.4%) children (P less than 0.01). This difference was significant in the preterm but not in the term children, suggesting that early failure of growth in utero can result in reduced growth in children. The findings were similar for weight and head circumference, but microcephaly was more frequent in term SGA (30%) than in preterm SGA (6.4%) children (P less than 0.05), suggesting that late impaired growth in utero can result in poor growth of the head. Height at the age of 5 years correlated with the parents' height only in AGA children, and with length at birth in SGA children. Weight of the 5-year-old children correlated with the mother's weight only in AGA children. Multivariate analysis in 66 couples and their children confirmed a greater tendency toward the influence of parental factors in AGA children and a more significant relationship with perinatal factors in SGA children.