A longitudinal study of very low-birthweight infants. III: Distance growth at eight years of age.

Data on growth patterns for a consecutive series of very low-birthweight infants followed to the age of eight years are presented. Of 158 long-term survivors who weighed between 1000 and 1500g at birth, reliable information on physical growth is available for 145 children. At birth 19.6 per cent of the sample were small for gestational age, but by eight years only 7.6 per cent remained below the 10th percentile for weight. Similar patterns were noted for length and for head circumference. Correlations between perinatal variables and postnatal growth were ascertained. The most important positive correlations were the percentiles at birth for weight, height and head circumference, maternal height and the use of neonatal intensive care. Gestational age had a negative correlation. There were 14 factors, including social class and most perinatal complications, which were not correlated with subsequent physical growth. Very low-birthweight babies, even if small for dates, had good prospects of satisfactory growth to the age of eight years.