Abstract:
The long term growth outcome of children born prematurely remains unclear. Height has been reported as reduced or normal in later childhood and adulthood while studies on body phenotype vary from lean to obese.The differences in part are due to methodological differences between studies with degree of prematurity and perinatal environment known to affect later growth. Importantly factors known to have a strong effect on later growth such as parental height and weight and the hormone milieu have not been addressed.
