Growth outcomes of weight faltering in infancy in ALSPAC

Abstract

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate growth outcomes in term infants with weight faltering.

Methods: Conditional weight gain was calculated on term infants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Cases of weight faltering were infants with a conditional weight gain below the fifth centile. Outcome growth measurements included weight and length/height (from 9 months to 13 years), BMI, mid-arm circumference, and waist circumference (at 7, 10, and 13 years).

Results: Weight data were available on 11 499 infants; 507 had "early" weight faltering (before 8 weeks), and 480 had "late" weight faltering (between 8 weeks and 9 months). The early group showed enhanced weight gain from 8 weeks until 2 years, then gained weight at the same rate as the controls. Gain in height was proportionally slower than gain in weight through childhood. By 13 years, they had BMI, mid-arm circumference, and waist circumference similar to the controls. The late group showed steady weight gain throughout childhood; enhanced weight gain compared with the controls only occurred between 7 and 10 years. Gain in height was proportional to gain in weight. This group remained considerably lighter and shorter than the controls up to the age of 13 years.

Conclusions: Children with weight faltering before 8 weeks showed a different pattern of "catch-up" to those with weight faltering later in infancy. By 13 years, the anthropometric profile of the 2 groups was within population norms.