Infant growth by INTERGROWTH‐21st and Fenton Growth Charts: Predicting 1‐year anthropometry in South African preterm infants

Abstract

Abstract Post‐natal growth influences short‐ and long‐term preterm infant outcomes. Different growth charts, such as the Fenton Growth Chart (FGC) and INTERGROWTH‐21st Preterm Post‐natal Growth Standards (IG‐PPGS), describe different growth curves and targets. This study compares FGC‐ and IG‐PPGS‐derived weight‐for‐postmenstrual age z‐score (WZ) up to 50 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA50) for predicting 1‐year anthropometry in 321 South African preterm infants. The change in WZ from birth to PMA50 (ΔWZ, calculated using FGC and IG‐PPGS) was correlated to age‐corrected 1‐year anthropometric z‐scores for weight‐for‐age (WAZ), length‐for‐age (LAZ), weight‐for‐length (WLZ) and BMI‐for‐age (BMIZ), and categorically compared with rates of underweight (WAZ + 2). Multivariable analyses explored the effects of other early‐life exposures on malnutrition risk. At PMA50, mean WZ was significantly higher on IG‐PPGS (−0.56 ± 1.52) than FGC (−0.90 ± 1.52; p + 1 predicted larger percentages overweight (57% vs. 38%). Both charts performed similarly in multivariable analysis. Differences between FGC and IG‐PPGS are less apparent when considering ΔWZ, highlighting the importance of assessing growth as change over time, irrespective of growth chart.

Keywords

• birthweight
• growth
• growth charts
• malnutrition
• (MeSH terms) Infant
• premature