Growth of preterm low birth weight infants until 24 months corrected age: effect of maternal hypertension

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the growth pattern of low birth weight preterm infants born to hypertensive mothers, the occurrence of growth disorders, and risk factors for inadequate growth at 24 months of corrected age (CA). Methods: Cohort study of preterm low birth weight infants followed until 24 months CA, in a university hospital between January 2009 and December 2010. Inclusion criteria: gestational age < 37 weeks and birth weight of 1,500-2,499 g. Exclusion criteria: multiple pregnancies, major congenital anomalies, and loss to follow up in the 2 nd year of life. The following were evaluated: weight, length, and BMI. Outcomes: growth failure and risk of overweight at 0, 12, and 24 months CA. Student's t-test, Repeated measures Anova (RM-Anova), and multiple logistic regression were used. Results: A total of 80 preterm low birth weight infants born to hypertensive mothers and 101 born to normotensive mothers were studied. There was a higher risk of overweight in children of hypertensive mothers at 24 months; however, maternal hypertension was not a risk factor for inadequate growth. Logistic regression showed that being born small for gestational age and inadequate growth in the first 12 months of life were associated with poorer growth at 24 months. Conclusion: Preterm low birth weight born infants to hypertensive mothers have an increased risk of overweight at 24 months CA. Being born small for gestational age and inadequate growth in the 1 st year of life are risk factors for growth disorders at 24 months CA.

Fatores associados ao excesso de peso e baixa estatura em escolares nascidos com baixo peso

“…Em nossa pesquisa, embora não seja possível precisar a faixa etária do catch -up, observou-se uma aceleração no crescimento e no ganho ponderal precocemente, pois já aos cinco anos de idade, muitos escolares com BPN já apresentavam excesso de peso. Dentre os fatores de risco para desenvolvimento de adiposidade futura destacam-se: o ambiente intrauterino, a velocidade de ganho de peso nos primeiros meses/anos de vida e a presença de sobrepeso/obesidade na infância 22 . Estudo de coorte americana com pré-escolares mostrou que o excesso de peso aos cinco anos aumentou em sete vezes a chance de sobrepeso/ obesidade aos 14 anos de idade 23 .…”