Abstract
EUGR is still a serious problem in very low birth weight preterm infants. The gradual improvement in neonatal intensive care has allowed the survival of newborns with increasing low weight and gestational age, with a higher incidence of major nutritional problems and diseases (Goldenberg 2008). EUGR was defined as growth parameters ≤ 10° centile at discharge, compared to the expected intrauterine growth for post-menstrual age. Recently EUGR was defined, in a dynamic way, as the reduction in anthropometric parameters z-score between birth and discharge >1SD (Griffin 2016). Aims of our study were to evaluate: the incidence of EUGR, the nutritional intake, the main risk factors, the auxological and neurological outcome. We enrolled 346 newborns admitted to our NICU from 2010 to 2016 with gestational age (GA) at birth < 30 weeks and/or birth weight <1500 gr. Infants with malformations or syndromes were excluded. The incidence of EUGR was 73.1% for weight, 66.3% for length and 39.3% for head circumference. We observed a decrease in SD mainly during the first 14 days of life. From two weeks to discharge, no significant catch-up growth was observed. Risk factors for EUGR were: male gender, reduced GA (p=0.000), low birth weight (p=0.000), lower minimum weight achieved (p=0.000), more time to recover birth weight (p=0.000), lower growth rate per day (p=0.001), longer period of total parenteral nutrition (p=0.008), later onset of minimal enteral feeding (p=0.006), later achievement of the full enteral feeding (p=0.000), cesarean section (p=0.006), incomplete corticosteroid prophylaxis (p=0.025), postnatal steroids use (p=0.000), mechanical ventilation (p=0.000), pulmonary bronchodysplasia (p= 0.000), leukomalacia (p=0.06), patent ductus arteriosus (p=0.000), retinopathy of prematurity (p= 0.008), late onset sepsis (p= 0.09). In 197 patients post-discharge clinical follow up at 1, 3 and 24 months of correct age (CA) was performed. Around 88% of all our sample showed normal neurological development. 12% at 1 and 3 months had abnormal general movements (both writhing and fidgety movements) or absent (p = 0.001). At 24 months CA patients with abnormal/absent fidgety movements had neurological disabilities and 83% were EUGR. At 24 months, 17% had weight <10(th) centile and all were EUGR. 25% showed an overgrowth (weight >75(th) centile) with a probably increased risk of metabolic disease later in life. The incidence of EUGR increased over the years due to the augmentation in preterm births with lower GA. The first 14 days of life were a critical period and nutrition is known to be mandatory to promote newborns’ growth (Asbury 2019). The EUGR condition negatively affected the neurological (Chien 2018) and auxological (Takayanagi 2018, Wood 2018) outcome of preterm infants and the early recognition of this condition is extremely important in order to implement a careful and prolonged follow-up.