Prediction of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) in VVLBW infants.

Abstract

Long-term growth failure in very very low birth weight (VVLBW) infants is a common complication of extreme prematurity. Critical illnesses create challenges to adequate nutriture. To identify predictors of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) in VVLBW infants and to evaluate their nutritional intake and subsequent growth. A 4-year retrospective chart review of 221 infants <or=1000 g birth weight and <or=29 weeks gestational age who were admitted within 24 hours of birth, were free of major congenital anomalies and survived at least 7 days. Daily intakes and anthropomorphic data were collected and analyzed. Significant events during hospitalization were documented. Mean energy and protein intakes during hospitalization did not reach recommendations of 120 kcal/kg/d and 3.0 g/kg/day. In utero growth rates could not be consistently reached or sustained. As expected, BW (as measured by BW percentile score) was highly predictive of EUGR (p<0.001). When the independent effect of other predictors of EUGR was considered, only days of total parenteral nutrition (p<0.001) and HC percentile at return to birth weight (p<0.001) made a significant contribution to the prediction of EUGR, once the effect of BW was taken into account.