Evaluation of Obesity at Second and Third Age in Premature Children

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Premature newborns are defined as babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy and after 22 weeks of pregnancy as a viability limit. Aim of this study was to analyze growth characteristics at the age of second and third age and prevention of metabolic diseases that may occur in adult age at an early phase. METHODS: This study was conducted as a retrospective cohort study between May 2018 and October 2018 in 18 different Family Medicine Outpatient Clinics in Rize, Central district. All participants were at least 3 years old and their follow-up visits made by the same family physicians for 3 years. RESULTS: It was found that 54.66% of babies were males(n=123), 45.33% of them were females(n=102). According to BMI (Body Mass İndex) evaluations, 19.11% of babies were overweight(n=43), 16% of them were obese(n=36) at the age of two and 20% of them were overweight (n=45), 13.33% of them were obese(n=30) at the age of three. The mean Hb levels of the mothers whom children were obese at the age of two were statistically lower than the others (p<0.001). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: According to WHO, worldwide prevalance of childhood overweight and obesity was 6.70% in 2010 and it is expected to reach 9.10% in 2020. When we searched reasons of high overweight and obesity prevalance, there wasn't significant difference related with maternal factors and feeding patterns. We found significant relationship between maternal anemia and being overweight and obesity at the age of two.

Keywords

• preterm birth
• anemia
• obesity