ESPE Abstracts

Background: IGFI regulates early postnatal growth of preterm infants and also plays an important role in growth in childhood. Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants are at risk for reduced growth in early childhood.

Objective and hypotheses: To compare IGFI and the correlation to growth parameters in infancy and early childhood in VLBW and term appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants.

Method: We included 41 VLBW children and 64 term born AGA children. Anthropometry was performed at 0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months of (corrected) age. IGFI was measured at 6 and 24 months corrected age (CA) in the VLBW children and at 3, 12 and 24 months in the term born children.

Results: VLBW children are lighter and thinner than term AGA children at all ages and are shorter until 12 months CA. VLBW children have lower head circumference than term AGA children at all ages. At 24 months CA IGFI in VLBW children is significantly higher than in term AGA children (13.0 vs. 10.3 nmol/L resp.; P=0.013). In VLBW children IGFI at 6 months CA was significantly correlated to weight and length at 6 months CA and to change in weight and length between 0 and 6 months CA; IGFI at 24 months CA was significantly correlated to head circumference and to change in length between 0 and 24 months CA. In term AGA children IGFI at 3, 12 and 24 months was correlated to weight and length at the same age and to change in weight and length in the preceding period.

Conclusion: In infancy and early childhood IGFI is correlated to preceding growth in both VLBW and term children. At 2 years CA IGF-I in VLBW children is higher than in term AGA children indicating an important role in the catch-up growth in length.