RESUMO
Relations between fetal age, age after birth (chronological) and absolute age are presented. The need to use absolute age instead of obstetric age categories, while assessing the developmental state of neonates and infants is shown. An analysis of data on 2,237 male newborns and 2,423 female newborns revealed relationships between body mass and fetal age. On the basis of regression analysis, various developmental tendencies in body mass of neonates are presented. Percentile charts of body mass applicable in assessment of developmental state and age of newborns at the age of 32-43 weeks are included as an appendix.
Assuntos
Desenvolvimento Infantil/fisiologia , Triagem Neonatal/métodos , Fatores Etários , Peso Corporal/fisiologia , Desenvolvimento Embrionário e Fetal/fisiologia , Feminino , Idade Gestacional , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Análise de Regressão , Projetos de PesquisaRESUMO
The developmental differences of the selected group of infants were investigated as compared with the normal biologic development development of term infants appropriate-for-gestational age. The proposals of the methodical assessment of the physical development of the different groups of infants were presented. Preterm newborns and newborns with intrauterine malnutrition should be referred to the separate active counseling groups because of the differences in the dynamics of the development. Special reference standards--other than those for term newborns--should be applied. It seems necessary to introduce the concept of the absolute age for the assessment of the preterm babies to compare groups of infants of the same chronologic age (which is a rule in the assessment of the growth later on). To fulfill the 2nd postulate the obstetricians and neonatologists should record the morphologic features of the neonates as well as the exact gestational age (in weeks) and not the age category only.