Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the influence of medical complications, gestational age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the changes in anthropometric measures and severity of neurologic impairment from 6 to 54 months of age in premature and term infants. Study Design: This study was a prospective longitudinal study to determine predictors of patterns of growth and neurologic outcome in low-risk (n = 137) and high-risk (n = 96) preterm infants compared to full-term infants (n = 136). Growth modeling analyses were used to evaluate factors that might influence patterns of physical growth and changes in neurologic status. Results: Medical risk level was a predictor of height and head circumference at 30 months and neurologic outcome. Gender was a predictor of weight gain. Medical risk level and gender predicted 13.8% and 32% of the variance in head circumference and neurologic scores, respectively. Conclusion: Medical complications after birth and gender are stronger influences than gestational age on patterns of growth and neurologic outcome.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 31-36 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Perinatology |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2002 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health