Background: Measurements of adolescents who at birth were large (long and/or heavy) for gestational age are scant.
Objectives: To determine the correlation between birth length and weight in female and male neonates born long and/or overweight for gestational age, with their height and weight at age 17.
Methods: We reviewed the records of the Rabin Medical Center for birth data of 96 full-term neonates born long and overweight for gestational age (FT-lo,ow), 33 full-term neonates born long but with normal weight for gestational age (FT-lo,nw), 148 full-term neonates born overweight but with normal length for gestational age (FT-nl,ow), and 401 full-term neonates born with normal birth length and weight (FT-nl,nw).
Results: Neonates of both genders born long and overweight at birth (FT-lo,ow) were taller and heavier at age 17 years than those born FT-nl,nw: females 167.8 +/- 5.1 cm and 64.6 +/- 10.3 kg vs. 162.6 +/- 5.5 cm and 59.3 +/- 11.1 kg (P < 0.001 for height and P = 0.026 for weight); and males 182.4 +/- 8.1 cm and 80.6 +/- 20.4 kg vs. 174.5 +/- 6.2 cm and 67.4 +/- 12.3 kg (P < 0.001). The correlations between birth length and height at age 17 for both genders were statistically significant (P < 0.001), as were those between birth weight and the weight and body mass index (BMI) at age 17 for both genders (P < 0.001). There was no correlation between birth length and weight or BMI at age 17.
Conclusions: Full-term neonates of both genders born large for gestational age become tall adolescents and weigh more at age 17 than children with a normal birth length and weight.