Postnatal development in children with growth restriction (follow-up study)

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of postnatal development in children with growth restriction.

Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study included 124 pregnant women, with all newborns assessed for mass-growth parameters using INTERGROWTH-21 centile curves postnatally. The study group comprised 76 children with growth restriction, whereas the control group included 48 healthy newborns. A comprehensive assessment of their health status was conducted during hospitalization in neonatal intensive care units and after discharge.

Results: The children in both groups were comparable in terms of delivery time, Apgar score, and follow-up duration. At birth, children in the study group had significantly lower anthropometric indicators (birth weight, length, and head circumference) (p<0.001). Additionally, the study group's children were 2.9 times less likely to have harmonious development than the comparison group (p=0.031). This may indicate that the risk of disharmonious development persists despite normalization of basic birth weight and length parameters. Data have been obtained confirming the association between antenatal growth restriction and an increased risk of disorders of the central nervous system in children. Children in the study groups had a high incidence of delayed psychomotor development (p<0.05; OR= 0.27, 95% CI 0,01–0.84) and were 12 times more likely to experience impaired speech development. Additionally, children in the study group were 2.9 times less likely to exhibit harmonious development than those in the comparison group (p=0.031). This suggests that the risk of disharmonious development persists despite normalization of the basic weight and height parameters. The data confirmed an association between antenatal growth restriction and an increased risk of central nervous system disorders in children. The study group displayed a high incidence of delayed psychomotor development (p<0.05; OR=0.27, 95% CI 0.01–0.84), and was 12 times more likely to experience impaired speech development.

Conclusion: Fetal growth restriction can have long-term effects on neurocognitive development in children. This underscores the need for early monitoring and rehabilitation programs for children born with stunted growth as well as further research to clarify the role of prenatal factors in speech disorders.