Weight gain in premature females

Among the low birth weight infants including those born prematurely, females apparently are better able to "catch up" in size with their normal birthweight peers by age 20 according to researchers. A similar burst of growth in young adolescents does not seem to occur as often among boys born prematurely.While catching up in size is generally a good thing, studies have shown that people who experience catch-up growth are at risk of a host of health problems in middle age, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. By age 20, 15 percent of girls who were very tiny babies were obese, relative to only 7 percent of boys who had very low birthweight.Researchers at the University in Ohio, during their study followed a group of 103 male and 92 female very tiny babies, who weighed an average of 1189 grams (2.6 pounds) at birth. The researchers measured the children's weight and height at birth, then at ages 40 weeks, 8 and 20 months, and when the children were 8 and 20 years old.

When the children turned 8, boys of low birthweight were still smaller and shorter than other similarly aged boys, while girls that were tiny babies typically weighed less but were just as tall as other girls. And by the age of 20, low birthweight girls had reached their female peers in weight and height, while boys who were tiny babies remained smaller than normal birth weight boys. Premature male infants tend to be sicker during the first year of life, and girls are more prone to gain excess weight than men, which could explain why it appears to be easier for girls to catch up than boys. Although 18 percent of 20-year old girls who were of normal birthweight were also obese, these women did not experience a similar burst in growth seen in premature infants, and therefore may be at less of a risk of later health problems. As a result, parents should try to help small babies grow to normal size, but keep in mind their future health. The catch-up is alright as long as they do not become obese. Although the reason why some fast growers experience later health problems is not clear, obesity might play a role. Obesity may be even more ominous for a premature child than a normal child.

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