Remote consequences of prematurity: violations of physical development and eating behavior of children and adolescents

Aim . To characterize the physical development (PD) and eating behavior (EB) of children and adolescents born prematurely. Materials and methods . The study involved 123 people born in the period 1997-2008, 58 children born prematurely, age (12 ± 1.3) years, gestation period (33.07 ± 1.9) weeks (main group). The control group consisted of 65 full-term peers, age (12.7 ± 2.2) years, gestational age (39.5 ± 0.8) weeks. Participants were evaluated by PD (height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), throat circumference (TC)) under the WHO AnthroPlus program, and EB using the Dutch DEBQ questionnaire. Results . Growth and Z-score growth of boys and girls of the main group is lower than that of their fullterm peers, p = 0.04; 0.004 (p < 0.0001 for Z-score growth). Z-score BMI in boys and girls of the main group is higher than in full-term, p = 0.04; 0.01. WC/TC the girls of the main group is higher than in fullterm peers, p < 0.0001. In premature boys, the restrictive type is 13.3%, emotional and external – 50%, the combination of emotional and external – 33.3%. In the control restrictive – 5,7%, emotional – 28,6%, external – 32,3%, the combination of emotional and external – 10,8%, the combination of all three types – 5,7%. In the group of premature girls restrictive –7.1% against 36.7% in the control, (p = 0.007), emotsiogenic – 10.7% against 36.6% of the control (p = 0.02), external – 10.3% against 60% of the control (p = 0.003). In the control group the combination of external and emotiogenic – 16.7% (in the primary group is 0, p = 0.02). Preterm boys emotiogenic and external and their combination more often than girls (p = 0.001; 0.02; 0.001). Conclusion. Children and adolescents born prematurely are below full-term peers and have a high z-score of BMI. Boys realize violations of external and emotional types, and their combination.