The somatic growth pattern of preterm infants until term age

Abstract

Background Pre term infants contribute substantially to neonatal morbidity and mortality rates. Somatic growth is considered to be an important indicator of an infant's health status. The measurement parameters include body weight (BW), body length (BL), head circumference (HC), and ponderal index (PI). Specific data on the somatic growth pattern of preterm infants in Indonesia are unavailable. Objectives To identify the somatic pattern of preterm infants until term age and the influence of gender, nutrition, and nursing method on BW, BL, HC, and PI growth during the first week of life. Methods We recruited premature infants born in Sanglah Hopsital, Denpasar, Bali, and collected data on BW, BL, HC, and PI> All data were presented as mean (SD) and plotted in curves. The relationships among several factors and the somatic growth parameters were analyzed with ANOV A. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results Among 100 infants, significant differences were detected in the mean ofBW, BL, HC, and PI, particularly in early preterm infants. Breastfed infants had the highest values with BW 2199 grams (SD 198), HC 31.4 em (SD 1.71), and PI 2.48 grams/cm 3 (SD 0.36). Infants nursed with the kangaroo method had the highest values of BW [2450 grams (SD 259)] and BL [48 em (SD 2.34)]. Conclusion A significant difference was detected in somatic growth according to some parameters, particularly in the early preterm infants group. Thus, breast feeding and the kangaroo method contribute to better somatic growth, and specifically BW.

Keywords

• preterm infants
• somatic growth
• breast-feeding
• kangaroo method