Introduction: Birth parameters are one of the more important predictors of body height in adult life. Children with low birth weight (LBW) are an essential and heterogenic group of patients diagnosed because of short stature.
Aim of the study: Evaluation of frequency of low birth mass in children with short stature and evaluation of anthropometric parameters in children with low and normal birth weight.
Material and methods: Analysis of birth data and present somatic parameters in 802 children with short stature who were admitted to the Clinic of Paediatrics and Endocrinology. This group consisted of 456 boys and 346 girls. The mean calendar age was 9 years. Differential diagnosis of growth disorders was made. Our group contained 133 children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and 26 girls with Turner's syndrome. Data of birth parameters (length, weight and length of pregnancy) were collected, anthropometric measurements of children and their parents were made, body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Low birth weight (LBW) is a birth weight ≤2500 g. The values of present somatic parameters were normalized according to the references of the Institute of Mother and Child, data of parameters were given in standard deviation score.
Results: In the whole examined group LBW was observed in 17.3% (137 children). LBW was observed in 23% of girls with Turner's syndrome. Among the children who were born on time low birth weight was observed in 5.3% (30 children--15 boys and 15 girls). In this group there were 10 patients from a twin pregnancy, 2 with fetal alcohol syndrome and 4 with Silver-Russell syndrome. In 14 patients SGA (small for gestational age) was observed. The children with LBW contacted the clinic a year earlier than other patients, with more body height deficiency (-2.5 SDS vs. -2.1 SDS) and smaller values of BMI. No statistically significant differences between midparental height in both groups were observed.
Conclusion: 1. Low birth weight is diagnosed in every sixth child with short stature in the Clinic of Endocrinology. 2. Children born on time with low birth weight should be diagnosed early towards congenital genetic disorders and development defects.