Catch-down growth during infancy of children born small (SGA) or appropriate (AGA) for gestational age with short-statured parents.

Abstract

We analyzed postnatal growth in children with familial short stature (FSS) with regard to small (SGA) or appropriate (AGA) for gestational age status at birth. We studied 96 otherwise healthy short-statured children (58 males; SGA: n = 41, AGA: n = 55). At least one of the parents was short-statured. Cross-sectional data for length/height and weight for the first 4 years of age were collected retrospectively. AGA children had a mean length of 0.09 +/- 1.02 standard deviation score (SDS) at birth, -1.57 +/- 1.16 SDS after 1 year of age, and -2.36 +/- 0.72 SDS after 4 years. SGA children had a mean length of -2.04 +/- 1.06 SDS at birth, -2.70 +/- 1.12 SDS at 1 year of age, and -3.05+/-0.86 SDS at 4 years. The loss of length SDS within the first 2 years of life was greater in AGA than in SGA children. SGA children were significantly shorter than AGA children at all of the study points (p <.001). Children with an FSS background born AGA show catch-down growth to their lower familial range during the first 2 years of life. SGA children did not catch up to their AGA peers at any time.