Preterm newborn's postnatal growth patterns: how to evaluate them

Abstract

Objectives: There are several factors that influence the postnatal growth of preterm infants. It is crucial to define how to evaluate the growth rate of each preterm child and its individual trajectory, the type of growth curve, either with parameters of prescriptive curves for healthy preterm infants with no morbidities or, in the case of preterm infants and their "bundle of vulnerabilities", growth curves that may represent how they are actually growing, with the aim of directing appropriate nutritional care to each gestational age range.

Data sources: The main studies with growth curves for growth monitoring and the appropriate nutritional adjustments that prioritized the individual trajectory of postnatal growth rate were reviewed. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched.

Data synthesis: The use of longitudinal neonatal data with different gestational ages and considering high and medium-risk pregnancies will probably be essential to evaluate the optimal growth pattern.

Conclusions: Prioritizing and knowing the individual growth trajectory of each preterm child is an alternative for preterm infants with less than 33 weeks of gestational age. For larger preterm infants born at gestational age >33 weeks, the Intergrowth 21st curves are adequate.

Keywords: Anthropometric charters; Crescimento; Curvas antropométricas; Growth; Newborn; Prematuridade; Prematurity; Recém-nascido.