Birthweight ratio and outcome in preterm infants

Article Abstract:

Babies with a low birth weight have an increased risk of death, or of delayed development of the neurological system and reduced growth. However, the relationship between birth weight and outcome is not clear. A previous study, which examined the influence of various factors on birth weight, developed the birth weight ratio. The ratio is calculated by dividing the actual birth weight of the infant by the average birth weight for the baby's gestation, or week of pregnancy when the baby is born. A ratio of 1 indicates that the baby's birth weight is exactly average, whereas ratios lower than 1 indicate lower than average birth weight. The birth weight ratio was calculated for 429 infants of less than 31 weeks' gestation. The relationship between birth weight ratio and outcome of the infant in the newborn period and at 18 months of age was also assessed. The results showed that the birth weight ratio was related to the need for mechanical ventilation, or use of a machine to assist breathing, and was also related to death after birth. In addition, the ratio was related to body weight, length, and head circumference (a measure of head size) at 18 months of age. However, there was no relationship between birth weight ratio and neurodevelopmental outcome at 18 months. Children with birth weight ratios of 1.1 or more scored better on language tests. These findings suggest that the common classification of preterm infants into one of two groups, small-for-gestational-age or appropriate-for-gestational-age, is not adequate for assessing the relationship between size for gestation and outcome. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Patient outcomes, Mortality, Physiological aspects, Birth weight, Low, Low birth weight, Infant mortality, Growth, Birth weight

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Early diet in preterm babies and developmental status in infancy

Article Abstract:

Several studies have suggested a correlation between an infant's diet and development of its nervous system. To test this hypothesis, a study was conducted of premature infants, who were considered to be good subjects since they are born during a period of rapid brain growth. The 502 low birthweight infants were separated into four groups. For a period of 30 days, one group was fed exclusively breast milk obtained from milk banks and provided by donors, and the second was fed exclusively a preterm infant formula. The other two groups were fed either the milk-bank milk or the formula as a supplement to their mother's milk. The infants' developmental status was then assessed nine months after their expected delivery date. Those who were fed the preterm formula attained a significantly higher level of development than those fed the banked milk, both alone and in combination with their mothers' milk. Further, the developmental disadvantage of those receiving donor milk rather than preterm formula as a supplement to mother's milk increased as the proportion of donor milk to mother's milk increased. It is concluded that a diet of unfortified food does not provide adequate nutrition to underweight infants. It is also concluded that infants who have experienced fetal retardation, as in preterm infants, are particularly vulnerable to the developmental hazards of an inadequate diet. Also of great significance is the long-term effect produced by a brief 30-day period of dietary manipulation. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Research, Food and nutrition, Infant development, Artificial feeding, Feeding methods, Infant formulas

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Food and drug reactions, wheezing, and eczema in preterm infants

Article Abstract:

Preterm, or premature, infants face many obstacles brought on by respiratory and immune insufficiency which are not common in full-term babies. A study of 777 preterm infants was performed; they were followed until 18 months of age to document whether the expected increases in the incidence of wheezing, eczema, and allergic reactions to food and drugs occurred among these children. Wheezing and asthma, observed in 23 percent of the infants, was linked to maternal smoking, use of a ventilator (breathing machine) in the neonatal period, and a family history of allergies. Eczema occurred in 19 percent of the infants and could be correlated with multiple births (the rate of eczema was 30 percent among twins and triplets). The rates of allergic reactions to cows' milk, other foods, and drugs (such as penicillin) were within the ranges reported for full-term infants, but drug reactions were less apt to occur in infants who had been on a ventilator or had received multiple medications in the neonatal stage, which implies that a tolerance to drugs may have developed. This study indicates that preterm infants may be at increased risk for developing asthma and eczema, and suggests a connection between prematurity and predisposition for allergies. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Risk factors, Asthma in children, Childhood asthma, Allergy in children, Pediatric allergy, Wheeze, Wheezing, Food allergy in children, Pediatric food hypersensitivity, Eczema in children, Childhood eczema

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