Early predictors of postnatal developmental disorders in prematurely born children

Relevance. Deviations in somatometric indicators in infancy lay the foundation for the development of chronic diseases in the future. The search for early prognostic indicators of physical development disorders in premature infants creates the prerequisites for their timely correction. Objective. To determine the significance of changes in blood levels of IGF-1 in the neonatal period for predicting the physical development of premature infants. Materials and methods. A prospective controlled study of 73 premature infants was conducted. Physical development indicators at 6 and 12 months of age were analyzed in two groups of children with different dynamics of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in the blood during the neonatal period. Results. At 6 and 12 months of age, deviations in height or body weight from reference values were more common in children who had relatively low hormone levels in the early neonatal period, followed by an increase. Conclusions. The dynamics of somatometric parameters in infants with increasing IGF-1 levels in the blood during the neonatal period indicate the possibility of using this biochemical indicator for early prediction of physical development deviations in premature infants.