The tendency to IUGR in preterm infants born to young women enrolled in a comprehensive prenatal program.

Low-birthweight infants born to young women in an urban poor and multiethnic community who attended an intensive comprehensive prenatal program were studied. Of the 801 young women followed, 69 (8.6%) delivered infants weighing less than or equal to 2500 gm. Despite comprehensive care, there was a high prevalence of maternal anemia though other obstetric factors were not significantly increased. Of the 69 low-birthweight infants, 82.6% were below the 50th percentile for weight. There was a tendency toward intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) among preterm infants which was pronounced after 33 weeks gestation. Further studies are needed to determine what developmental insult could arrest growth and lead in some instances to preterm birth and in others to IUGR.