Ponderal Evolution of Children Born with Low Birth Weight

  • Tatiane Loidi de Santana Garbugio Cesumar

Abstract

The World Health Organization sets the birth weight as the best nutritional indicator in the first years of life. Many low birth weight children are accompanied in this period so that they do not suffer from growth deficit. But, how about the children born with insufficient weight? This study aims at verifying if the children with insufficient born weight reach the weight of those children with an adequate born weight in the first year of life. For this reason, a retrospective study was carried out in Maringá, Paraná, in a Basic Health Unit of the Municipal Health Secretariat. Patient charts of children who were under complete 4 years old, non-twins and without congenital anomalies were included. The sample consisted of 89 patient charts, indenpending on the children’s weight. By the charts, we could collect data on the children´s birth weight, their weight at twelve-month-old and the information on exclusive breast-feeding, bottle-feeding or mixed feeding. The results showed that from these children, 4.54% were underweight born; 36.36% were born with an insufficient weight; 31.81% were born with an adequate weight; and 27.27% were overweight born. Of the children born with an insufficient weight, 6.25% reached the overweight level with one year of life and 56.25%, could reach an adequate weight. However, 31.25% kept the insufficient weight in the first year of life and 6.25% became underweight children.

Author Biography

Tatiane Loidi de Santana Garbugio, Cesumar
Pós-graduanda do curso de Terapia Nutricional do Centro Universitário de Maringá – CESUMAR.
Published
2008-06-27
Section
Artigos Originais