By the time premature babies reach ages 14 to 19, analyzes of over 250,000 people have, on average, similar body mass indices to full-term babies.
health
January 26, 2023
Babies born prematurely may weigh less, but seem to catch up with their peers in their teens Ivan Jekic/Getty Images
People born prematurely may have a body mass index (BMI) similar to those born at term when they reach puberty.
Johan Vinther of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and his colleagues analyzed data collected in 16 studies conducted in Europe, North America, and Australia and found that time spent in the womb affected body weight during childhood and adolescence. I decided what the impact would be.
These studies included data on neonatal gestational age and follow-up data on height and weight in subsequent years. A total of more than 250,000 children born between 1985 and her 2017 were included in the study.
Vinther and his colleagues took height and weight data for each person and calculated BMI at different ages.
“Body size is a good indicator of physical health,” says Vince. “It’s not the only solution.”
People born before 37 weeks of gestation, also known as preterm birth, were more likely to have lower childhood BMI than those born after 37 weeks, but this difference disappeared between the ages of 14 and 19. .
“Our research suggests that preterm babies gain weight in childhood compared to those born at term,” says Vinser. It’s unclear why, he added.
The findings don’t necessarily mean that prematurely born children always reach a healthy weight at puberty, says Vinther. Other factors, such as the mother’s BMI and level of education, will also play a role, he says.
The results are based on people in high-income countries. “I’m not sure what this looks like in low-income countries,” says Vinser. The team did not examine the specific effects of gender or ethnicity on results.
Nina Modi of Imperial College London said the findings confirm long-term research around the world on the issue. However, recent research has shown that people who are born very preterm are more likely to develop chronic diseases that are exacerbated by being overweight.
“An important health message is to make sure that preterm births and their parents and clinicians are aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy weight,” she says.
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