Normalization of bone mineral density in premature-born children from Viña del Mar, Chile

Abstract

In a previous study we reported that healthy children born at 34 or fewer gestational weeks, with adequate weight for gestational age, had not completed their bone catch-up at mean age of 6.3 years. This is a follow up report, performed on the same population one year later to determine at which age premature - born children achieve their bone mineral density (BMD) catch-up, compared to term-born controls. Fifteen children mean age 7 years 3 months, born at 25 to 34 weeks of gestation, with a birth weight of 740 to 2.200 g were studied Radius, lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density, whole body bone mineral content and body composition were assessed by DEXA. Height, body mass index, peripheral BMD, axial BMD, fat and lean body mass in these children were not different from term born controls. Premature born children with adequate weight for gestational age, achieved peripheral and axial bone mineral density catch-up at the age of 7 to 8 years.