Growth in the first four years: III. The effects of maternal factors associated with small-for-dates and large-for-dates pregnancies.

Relationships between maternal factors associated with very slow and very fast fetal growth rate, and the postnatal growth patterns within groups of 238 small-for-dates (SFD) and 241 large-for-dates (LFD) children were examined. Within the SFD group significant differences were found in their weight, height, and to a lesser extent head circumference, according to maternal weight, height, parity, social class, and the birthweights of previous siblings. In the LFD group no differences were found according to maternal weight or the birthweights of previous siblings. Maternal height affected only weight and height; first-born were heavier, and children in the upper social classes had larger heads than the rest. After adjustment for sex, the proportion of the variance in size between one and four years accounted for by all these factors was: SFD group 16% for weight and height, and 10% for head circumference; LFD group 6% for all three measures.