Birth weight and longitudinal growth in infants born below 32 weeks' gestation: a UK population study. Issue 1 (9th August 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cole, Tim J; Statnikov, Yevgeniy; Santhakumaran, Shalini; Pan, Huiqi; Modi, Neena
• Other Names: Abbott Jane author non-byline.; Brocklehurst Peter author non-byline.; Costeloe Kate author non-byline.; Draper Liz author non-byline.; Howard Maria author non-byline.; Kemp Jacquie author non-byline.; Majeed Azeem author non-byline.; Modi Neena author non-byline.; Wilkinson Andrew author non-byline.; Rackham Oliver author non-byline.; Roth Simon author non-byline.; Wickham Tim author non-byline.; Manikonda Ravi author non-byline.; Lipscomb Anthony author non-byline.; Roth Simon author non-byline.; Wickham Tim author non-byline.; Uthaya Sabita author non-byline.; Chang John author non-byline.; Fang Swee author non-byline.; Noble Vibert author non-byline.; Lama Meera author non-byline.; Thirumurugan author non-byline.; Shaw Ben (NJ) author non-byline.; Arasu Anusha author non-byline.; Losa Ignatius author non-byline.; Mann R author non-byline.; Gopinathan Vimala author non-byline.; Clarke Paul author non-byline.; Dorling John author non-byline.; Walters Shaun author non-byline.; Scorrer Tim author non-byline.; Dale Anne author non-byline.; Vasu Vimal author non-byline.; Dorling John author non-byline.; Ogilvy-Stuart Amanda author non-byline.; McIntyre John author non-byline.; Lewis Vaughan author non-byline.; Jones Steve author non-byline.; Lawson Tracy author non-byline.; Heal Carrie author non-byline.; Opute Anne author non-byline.; Huertas-Ceballos Angela author non-byline.; Stevens Roy author non-byline.; Webb Delyth author non-byline.; Ramesh Chaniyil author non-byline.; Jones Ros author non-byline.; Ho John author non-byline.; Garr R author non-byline.; Blumberg Raoul author non-byline.; Vasu Vimal author non-byline.; Garg Anil author non-byline.;
• Is Part Of: Archives of disease in childhood. Volume 99:Issue 1(2014)
• Page Start: F34
• Page End: F40
• Publication Date: 2013-08-09
• Subjects: Growth -- Data Collection -- Neonatology -- Statistics; Infants -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Newborn infants -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Fetus -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.920105
• DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2012-303536
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-2998

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To describe birth weight and postnatal weight gain in a contemporaneous population of babies born <32 weeks' gestation, using routinely captured electronic clinical data. Design: Anonymised longitudinal weight data from 2006 to 2011. Setting: National Health Service neonatal units in England. Methods: Birth weight centiles were constructed using the LMS method, and longitudinal weight gain was summarised as mean growth curves for each week of gestation until discharge, using SITAR (Superimposition by Translation and Rotation) growth curve analysis. Results: Data on 103 194 weights of 5009 babies born from 22–31 weeks' gestation were received from 40 neonatal units. At birth, girls weighed 6.6% (SE 0.4%) less than boys (p<0.0001). For babies born at 31 weeks' gestation, weight fell after birth by an average of 258 g, with the nadir on the 8th postnatal day. The rate of weight gain then increased to a maximum of 28.4 g/d or 16.0 g/kg/d after 3 weeks. Conversely for babies of 22 to 28 weeks' gestation, there was on average no weight loss after birth. At all gestations, babies tended to cross weight centiles downwards for at least 2 weeks. Conclusions: In very preterm infants, mean weight crosses centiles downwards by at least two centile channel widths. Postnatal weight loss is generally absent in those born before 29 weeks, but marked in those born later. Assigning an infant's target centile at birth is potentially harmful as it requires rapid weight gain and should only be done once weight gain has stabilised. The use of electronic data reflects contemporary medical management.