Males with Low Birthweight Examined at 18 Years of Age

Abstract

An 18 years follow-up study of 105 males born in 1962/63 with birthweight less than or equal to 2 500 g was made at the military draft board examinations in 1981. The medical and psychological tests were compared to the tests of the total cohort of 35 728 Norwegian conscripts. The early neonatal mortality in the study was 15.2%, and of those examined at 18 years of age was 6.7% unfit for military service, compared to 6.2% in the total cohort. Ten organ systems were analyzed, significantly increased frequency of unfitness being found only for the vision. Intelligence testing was done on 71 of the studied subjects, and the mean was the same as the national average. Children with weight-for-date centile less than 10 at birth had the same general intelligence at 18 years as the national average. However, the weight and height at adult age were significantly correlated to the weight-for-date at birth. The study indicates that those low birthweight children who survived the neonatal period in the beginning of the nineteen-sixties, were except for stature and minor defects of vision, indistinguishable from those of normal birthweight at the age of eighteen.

Intellectual and Psychological Performance in Males Born Small for Gestational Age With and Without Catch-Up Growth

“…Our data show that low birth weight for gestational age is associated with an increased risk of subnormal intellectual capacity in young adulthood. They are in accordance with most (2,3,5,7,9,23,35), but not all (25,36,37), previous studies. In contrast with previous studies, we also used birth length and catch-up growth as predictors.…”

Reduced final height and indications for insulin resistance in 20 year olds born small for gestational age: regional cohort study

“…Mean final height in the group born small for gestational age remained significantly lower after adjustment for the target height in both sexes. Reduced mean final height (without correction for target height) has been observed in adolescents aged 16-18 who had been born at term but small for gestational age 3 4 5 6. Subjects with a normal birth weight in our study were 4 cm taller than the target height in both sexes, documenting the upward secular drift in height.…”

“…Affected infants are known to be at a higher than average risk of illness and death from several neonatal disorders 1. Although most (85-90%) will catch up in height during the first two years of life,2 3 some children will remain short in childhood and adulthood 3 4 5 6. A recent population based study following babies born small for gestational age to adulthood showed that they had a sevenfold higher risk of being short than subjects who were not small for gestational age 3…”

Birth Weight and Adult Bone Metabolism Are Unrelated: Results From Birth Weight–Discordant Monozygotic Twins

“…In agreement with our study, BW and intrapair differences in BW were associated with adult height in singletons and Dutch twins, respectively. Furthermore, as previously reported, BW and several bone parameters were associated in our study when the participants were investigated as single individuals.…”