Growth outcome of the very low-birth-weight infant at one year.

Growth patterns of weight, length, and OFC complete through 12 months corrected age were determined for 122 VLBW infants who weighed 1,500 gm. or less and were 35 weeks or less gestational age at birth. Significant differences in growth were apparent when infants were grouped according to sex and appropriateness of intrauterine growth. When the mean values of each group were compared, the female AGA infants demonstrated growth at higher percentiles (NCHS term infant norms) for all three growth parameters (weight, length, and OFC). AGA male, SGA male, and SGA female infants all grew similarly, at lower percentiles for weight and length, when compared with the same norms. Growth in OFC was closest to term infant norms in all subgroups of infants. (formula; see text) Appropriateness of weight for length was determined for each of the infants at one year corrected age. The majority of the babies, regardless of subgroup, achieved weights and lengths greater than the 5th percentile and with normal weights for lengths. At 12 months corrected age, 30% remained below the 5th percentile in weight, 21% below the 5th percentile in length, and 14% below the 5th percentile in OFC. Eighteen infants (15%) demonstrated a disproportionately low weight for length (less than the 5th percentile).