Childhood Health Outcomes in Term, Large-for-Gestational-Age Babies With Different Postnatal Growth Patterns

Large-for-gestational-age (LGA) babies have a higher risk of metabolic disease later in life, and their postnatal growth in early childhood may be associated with long-term adverse outcomes. This study aimed to determine childhood health outcomes of term LGA babies with different growth patterns. Data were obtained from the US Collaborative Perinatal Project for the years between 1959 and 1976. The growth trajectories of 3,316 term LGA babies were identified and odds ratios of obesity, growth restriction, low intelligence quotient (IQ), and high blood pressure (HBP) were calculated by logistic regression. Compared with term appropriate-for-gestational-age infants, term LGA babies without catch-down growth had increased risks of obesity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 6.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.24, 7.73) and HBP (aOR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.37, 2.03). Those with high catch-down growth had higher risks of growth restriction (aOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.66, 2.95) and low IQ (aOR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.49). Nevertheless, infants with small catch-down growth had lower risks of obesity (aOR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.63, 0.95), growth restriction (aOR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.46), low IQ (aOR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.41, 1.06), and HBP (aOR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.77, 1.04). According to our data, term LGA infants with small catch-down growth had no increased risks of adverse outcomes.