The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics 2008 , Vol 50 , Num 3
Catch-up growth in appropriate- or small-for-gestational age preterm infants
1 Units of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Public Health, İstanbul University, İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
2 Units of Pediatric Neonatology, Department of Public Health, İstanbul University, İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
3 Department of Pediatrics, and Unit of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, İstanbul University, İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
Darendeliler F, Çoban A, Baş F, Bundak R, Dişci R, Şükür M, İnce Z, Can G. Catch-up growth in appropriate- or small-for-gestational age preterm infants. Turk J Pediatr 2008; 50: 207-213.

The aim was to evaluate postnatal growth of preterm infants in childhood and to determine factors that have an effect on catch-up growth (CUG). Ninetysix (42F, 54M) preterm born children with a gestational age of 32.6±2.9 weeks and birth weight of 1815±668 g were evaluated at age 4.7±1.1 years. Preterm children with birth weight and/or length below 10th percentile were accepted as small-for-gestational age (SGA) and those above as appropriatefor- gestational age (AGA). Height SDS was similar (-0.5±1.0) in preterm AGA and SGA children. Both groups had low body mass index (BMI) SDS (-0.6±1.4 and -1.0±1.5, respectively). Of the preterm SGA children, 65.8% showed a CUG in height and 3.8% catch- down growth. These rates were 24.6% and 33.5% in preterm AGA children. CUG in height was best explained by birth length and mother’s height and CUG in weight by birth weight and mother’s weight. In conclusion, although most of the preterm SGA children show CUG, they reach a compromised height in childhood. A number of preterm AGA children show a catch-down growth. Keywords : preterm, growth, appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA), small-forgestational age (SGA), bone age

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