8304 Growth trajectories of children born preterm and full-term with low birth weight to preschool ages; a nationwide study

Abstract Disclosure: E. Kang: None. J. Cha: None. J. Na: None. S. Ryu: None. Y. Choi: None. J. Kim: None. Context: Children born preterm (PT) and full-term with low birth weight (FT-LBW) are known to be at considerable risk of poor growth outcomes. Objective: To investigate the growth trajectories of children born PT and FT-LBW from birth to preschool ages. Methods: A total of 1,150,508 newborns were included in the study, comprising 41,454 children born PT and 38,250 children born FT-LBW, who participated in the first three rounds (4-6, 9-12, 18-24 months) of the National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children (NHSPIC). Growth measurements were obtained from the NHSPIC database and converted into the Z-scores. Growth data at two, four, and six years of age were measured as outcome variables. The impact of being born small on poor growth outcomes was investigated using a generalized estimating equation and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results: The median birth weight of three groups was 2.3kg for PT, 2.4kg for FT-LBW, and 3.2kg for FT control group, respectively. The incidence of short stature defined as height Z-score < -2 standard deviation score (SDS) and failure to thrive (BMI Z-score < -2 SDS) was highest in FT-LBW group, followed by the PT group, and control group. At four years of age, the incidence rates were 6.0% vs. 5.2% vs. 1.9% for short stature and 4.6% vs. 3.9% vs. 1.7% in FTT. The β estimate of height outcome was lower in both the PT and FT-LBW groups with -0.326 SDS in PT and -0.456 SDS in FT-LBW group. Conclusion: The FT-LBW group was consistently shorter and lighter throughout the preschool period than the PT group. This highlights the significance of growth monitoring in high-risk populations. Presentation: 6/3/2024