Postnatal growth trajectories of very preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age infants from term-equivalent age to 6 years

Key Points

• To investigate the growth trajectories of very preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age infants from term-equivalent age to six years.
• Longitudinal observational study design
• Analysis of growth data from birth to six years
• Comparison of head size and physical growth metrics
• Very preterm infants demonstrate slower growth compared to full-term peers
• Infants born before 25 weeks exhibit smaller head sizes
• Delayed growth persists into early childhood, affecting developmental outcomes